On behalf of my delegation, I congratulate the Kingdom of Sweden for its presidency this month. 

Before I begin, I must address the events of this morning. A short while ago, two Patriot missiles were launched at a Syrian Sukhoi fighter jet that infiltrated into Israeli airspace.

The IDF monitored the advance of the fighter jet, which infiltrated about two kilometers into Israeli airspace. It was then intercepted by the Patriot missiles.

Israel warned Syria not to breach the 1974 Separation of Forces Agreement. Israel will not allow any violation of our sovereignty.

Over the weekend, upon the request of our allies, Israel has completed a humanitarian effort to rescue 422 members of the White Helmets and their families. The Israeli government approved their passage through Israel as an important humanitarian gesture.  

We would like to thank the countries that took part in this humanitarian operation.

Israel will continue to provide Syria with humanitarian aid such as food, medicine and clothing, as it has since the earliest days of the war.

Mr. President, enough is enough. 

Too many in the international community continue to criticize our actions while Hamas terrorizes our southern border. This past weekend, an IDF soldier was shot and killed by a Hamas terrorist squad. Hamas fired over 200 rockets and mortars into Israel just over a week ago. A 17 year-old girl suffered wounds to her face from a rocket attack. Another rocket has struck the courtyard of a synagogue in the Israeli town of Sderot. A balloon full of explosives landed on the roof of a kindergarten. Sirens have blared throughout the day and night, and residents of Israel’s southern communities are told to remain within 15 seconds of bomb shelters. 

Over 7,400 acres of land in southern Israel has been destroyed by Hamas’ arson attacks. That is half the size of Manhattan. Just imagine if half of Manhattan was set on fire – if eight central parks were burning to the ground by the flames of terrorists.

Israel continues to defend itself. We have destroyed Hamas terror tunnels; one of its training facilities placed directly in a city center; and military targets. We have taken these steps to protect our people, just as you would do to protect yours.

Hamas is responsible for these acts of terror. Yet, too many in this building seem to have forgotten what Hamas truly is. Hamas is a terrorist organization. Hamas is to blame for holding hostage the entire population of Gaza. Hamas is working closely with the terrorists of Hezbollah in Lebanon and the Iranian regime. Hamas is a regional threat that requires a regional solution. 

Hamas is also an international problem that calls for an international designation. The fanatics of Hamas who terrorize Israelis and Palestinians are sophisticated, cold-blooded killers. It is time this body acknowledges that Hamas is no different than Al-Qaeda and ISIS. 

You must designate Hamas as a terrorist organization, once and for all.

Founded by a group of Muslim Brotherhood activists in 1987, Hamas remains committed to violent assaults against Israel. Its stated goal is creating a Palestinian state, quote, “from the river to the sea.” Hamas preaches to destroy Israel and its entire people through suicide bombings, stabbings, kidnappings and any other means of terror it sees fit.

From 2000-2005, Hamas killed over 1000 innocent Israelis. It wounded thousands more. Suicide bombers boarded buses and entered restaurants, only to blow them up moments later. 

In two-thousand-five (2005), Prime Minister Ariel Sharon ordered the entire withdrawal of all Israeli presence in Gaza. This meant the complete removal of every pre-existing Jewish community in Gaza, every IDF soldier, and even the bodies from our cemeteries in Gaza. Israel left so that the Palestinians could govern themselves in Gaza. They had the opportunity - Israel had removed itself completely - no settlements, no occupation.

But Hamas remained – in fact, Hamas only grew stronger. In 2006, Hamas violently overthrew the Palestinian leadership – it literally threw Fatah leaders off the rooftops. Since then, for 12 years, Hamas has done nothing but exploit the Palestinian people and attack Israel. Hamas has built countless terror attack tunnels from Gaza into Israel to kidnap and kill innocent Israelis. This year alone, Israel has destroyed at least ten of these terror tunnels that crossed into Israel, ending just meters from our communities. In 2017, Israeli security forces stopped over 400 Hamas terror attacks, including 13 planned suicide assaults, and eight attempted kidnappings.

It has been 12 years since Hamas seized control of Gaza, and peace in our southern region remains a figment of the imagination. That is because Hamas values death over life. If you do not believe me, listen to Hamas’ leaders themselves. During the recent violent riots, Yahya Sinwar, the leader of Hamas in Gaza, addressed the mob and demanded that they, the terrorists charge the fence into Israel, find innocent Israelis, and they, the people he sent to the fence, and I quote, “tear out their hearts from their bodies.”

The international community must accept that Hamas’ true colors are the bloodiest of reds. 

There is only one remedy. The international community must designate Hamas as a terrorist organization. 

Mr. President,

For many years, Hezbollah in Lebanon has terrorized northern Israel as it pretends to be a political organization. But Hezbollah is not alone today in Lebanon. Hamas has widened its efforts to collaborate with Hezbollah and to cause innocent Israelis as much pain as possible. Both Hamas and Hezbollah are guilty of placing innocent people, whether Lebanese, Palestinian or Israeli, in grave danger. Like Hamas, Hezbollah commits the crime of exploiting civilians as human shields, and both terrorist organizations enjoy tremendous resources, equipment and training from Iran. 

Hamas leaders boast about these terror ties themselves. Yahya Sinwar bragged that Hamas has, and I quote, “excellent relations with our brothers in Hezbollah. We work together and coordinate and we are in touch almost on a daily basis.” 

Mr. President,

Over the past few months, Hamas has amplified its activities in Lebanon.

We have warned the Security Council about this. But nothing has changed.

Hamas is part of an international operation. One that crosses borders from Turkey, to Lebanon, to Syria, and finishes in Iran. Through this network, and with the funding and sponsorship of Iran, Hamas has established missile and UAV factories in southern Lebanon. It has built training camps to teach thousands of Palestinian terrorists in Lebanon.

Mr. President,

The scale of Hamas’ activities would not be possible without the unwavering support of the Iranian regime. Despite clear Sunni-Shia differences, Iran provides nearly one-hundred million dollars annually to Hamas and Islamic Jihad. 

Hamas leaders, including the prominent Salah al-Arouri, have met with Iranian officials on many occasions. Ali Akbar Velayati, a top aid to Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Khamenei, stated, and I quote, “We are proud of supporting the Palestinian resistance and Hamas movement. The Iranian leadership and our people will continue to support the resistance led by Hamas and Islamic Jihad.” 

Just this month at the so-called “Wet Gunpowder Festival” - apparently it is a festival - Qasem Soleimani, Commander of the Quds Force of the Iranian Revolutionary Guard, was scheduled to address Gaza - the entire population of Gaza - through a live broadcast from Tehran. A technical malfunction stopped the speech from taking place. But this type of direct communication to all of Gaza only shows one thing – that the ties between Hamas and Iran are stronger than ever.

With Iran’s support, Hamas becomes a regional and an international threat. Iran has already built strong influence in Lebanon, giving seven-hundred (700) million dollars a year to Hezbollah. Iran already has near-control over Syria. It provides the regime with four (4) billion dollars per year and thousands of fighters. 

We simply cannot allow for Gaza to become another Iranian outpost. 

Mr. President,

Designating Hamas as a terrorist organization would reaffirm the international community’s obligation to combat terrorism. Terrorism knows no borders, colors or creeds. Terrorism strikes the cafes of Paris, the towers of New York and the streets of Tel Aviv. 

Hamas, Al-Qaeda and ISIS share the same immediate goal – to kill innocent people and disrupt international peace. Therefore, designating Hamas as a terrorist organization should be no less obvious than designating Al-Qaeda and ISIS.

The UN should designate Hamas leaders as terrorists to be sanctioned – terrorists like Yahya Sinwar – who is guilty of committing over 50 terror attacks; Ismail Haniyeh, who is responsible for countless innocent lives and is a supporter of Osama Bin-Laden; and Khalad Mashaal, guilty of executing 38 Palestinians who tried to resist Hamas. 

Mr. President,

Hamas continues to hold hostage two Israeli civilians and the abducted bodies of two fallen Israeli soldiers, Oron Shaul and Hadar Goldin, and refuses to return them. They also refuse to allow ICRC visits or visits by any other third party, and to provide information about their fate or conditions.

It is inconceivable that it has been over four years since our two soldiers were killed, and their bodies are still being held by the Hamas terrorists. I remind you that Hadar Goldin was killed after a UN-sanctioned ceasefire was implemented. 

It is the responsibility of the UN to ensure the return of their bodies for proper burial in Israel. Failure to do so is a standing violation of international humanitarian law. 

One cannot demand humanitarian assistance to Gaza - which we support - while refusing to demand the basic humanitarian right of returning our captive and our fallen.

Mr. President,

Hamas directs violent attacks – rockets and flaming kites – at Israeli civilians; they divert supplies that come into Gaza to build terror tunnels; they use civilian buildings and objects to launch attacks, and they use Palestinian civilians – men, women and children – as human shields.

Hamas – the organization that is responsible for the suffering of so many Israelis and Palestinians, fundamentally violates core obligations of international humanitarian law. Hamas continues to display total disregard for all the values that the international community holds dear: humanity, protection of civilians, and respect for international law. The international community cannot stand idly by.

Before I conclude, Mr. President,

Dozens of countries have designated Hamas as a terrorist organization. They did not do it out of sympathy for Israel. They did it because they understand that Hamas is a worldwide terror threat. 

By calling Hamas anything other than what it is, you become the launch pads for its rockets.

In the last debate about the conflict at the Security Council - here, in this room - a majority of Security Council members could not condemn Hamas. The majority of member states in the General Assembly had the courage to support the US and do so.

Therefore, if this body is serious about peace and security, it will designate Hamas as a terrorist organization, once and for all.

I thank you.