Mr. President,

Allow me to begin by reiterating Czechia's unwavering support for the people of the West Bank and Gaza in their pursuit of political aspirations for their own future statehood.

My country also stands ready to support any meaningful efforts to end violence in the region.

However, for these efforts to succeed, they must be the result of direct negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians, as this offers the only viable path to lasting security and peace for all.

Given the current circumstances on the ground, we believe that this resolution is not a step in the right direction, as it risks potentially sowing further divisions and hindering peace talks in an already fragile conflict situation.

Furthermore, the adopted resolution fails to address the immense security challenges Israel faces, including Hamas's use of the Gaza Strip as a launching pad for its rampage of killing of Israelis, while systematically using the Palestinian civilians as human shields.

Allow me to take this opportunity to reiterate our call for the immediate release of all the hostages brutally abducted on 7 October. It is with great concern that I must note that the General Assembly has once again failed to acknowledge this issue with today’s vote.

Mr. President,

Czechia fully respects the role and independence of the International Court of Justice. However, we regret that due to the unilaterally formulated questions posed by the resolution A/RES/77/247 of 30 December 2022, the Court advisory opinion in question could not pay enough attention to Israel's legitimate security interests and right to self-defense. And the resolution before us goes even further and interprets the opinion expressed by the Court in an entirely one-sided way.

Mr. President, colleagues,

It is of utmost importance to re-establish a political horizon towards a two-state solution. A negotiated agreement remains the only way forward to guarantee security, political stability, and democratic development for both Israel and Palestine. We also encourage the region to embark on a path of cooperation, including through the Abraham Accords, to foster a better future in the Middle East. Rather than introducing new initiatives in New York, we need to see positive developments in the region.

Mr. President, it is precisely for these reasons that Czechia was not in a position to support the draft resolution and voted against it.