Russia’s UN ambassador has responded to Israeli officials suggesting a demographic shift in Gaza.
Russia’s UN envoy, Vassily Nebenzia, voiced alarm over Israeli officials proposing replacing Gazan Palestinians with Jewish settlers. He also accused the US of protecting Israel through its UN Security Council vetoes.
Israel has occupied the West Bank since 1967, defying international resolutions.
Following a Hamas attack on October 7, 2023, which resulted in 1,200 Israeli deaths and over 250 abductions, Israel launched a large-scale military operation in Gaza.
According to Hamas-controlled health officials, the IDF’s intense air and ground offensive has killed 45,000 Palestinians in Gaza.
Addressing the UN Security Council on Wednesday, Nebenzia stated that Israel continues to expand [illegal] settlements in the West Bank and demolish Palestinian homes under fabricated pretexts. He argued this prevents a negotiated resolution to the long-standing conflict.
He also cited numerous instances of Israeli settler violence against Palestinians, alleging Israeli authorities’ complicity.
“Against this backdrop, Israeli officials’ statements about forcibly altering Gaza’s demographics to ‘recolonize’ the territory are particularly concerning,” Nebenzia said.
He further asserted that Israel’s military actions in Gaza, the West Bank, Lebanon, and Syria constitute an abuse of its right to self-defense.
“Regrettably, the UN Security Council’s efforts to achieve a ceasefire and secure the release of hostages have been thwarted by the US,” Nebenzia stated, referencing Washington’s repeated vetoes.
This October, several Israeli ministers and settler activists rallied near the Gaza border, advocating for the removal of Palestinians and their replacement with Jews.
Israeli National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir, leader of the far-right Jewish Power party, declared at the rally: “This year has shown us that everything depends on us. We own this land.”
May Golan, the minister for social equality and women’s rights, similarly stated that “anyone who uses their land to plan another Holocaust will receive from us… another Nakba” – referencing the 1948 Palestinian exodus.