United Nations Security Council Resolution 1544
Encyclopedia
United Nations
Security Council Resolution
1544, adopted on May 19, 2004, after recalling resolutions 242
(1967), 338
(1973), 446
(1979), 1322
(2000), 1397
(2002), 1402
(2002), 1403
(2002), 1405
(2002), 1435
(2002) and 1515
(2003), the Council called on Israel
to cease demolishing Palestinian
homes.
The United States
abstained
from the vote on Resolution 1544, saying it had urged Israel to exercise restraint and that the issue of Palestinian militants smuggling weapons through Gaza
was not addressed.
, while it was called upon to address its security needs according to international law
. It expressed its concern at the deterioration of the situation in the Israeli-occupied territories
since 1967 and condemnation of the killing of a Palestinian in the Rafah
area.
The preamble of the resolution also expressed concern at the demolition of Palestinian homes in the Rafah camp
. The Council recalled the obligations of the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority under the road map for peace
. All acts of terror, violence and destruction were condemned.
and end the demolition of homes in violation of that law. There was concern at the humanitarian situation of Palestinians made homeless in the Rafah area and emergency assistance was required. Both parties were called upon to end violence, respect legal obligations and immediately implement their obligations under the road map.
United Nations
The United Nations is an international organization whose stated aims are facilitating cooperation in international law, international security, economic development, social progress, human rights, and achievement of world peace...
Security Council Resolution
United Nations Security Council Resolution
A United Nations Security Council resolution is a UN resolution adopted by the fifteen members of the Security Council; the UN body charged with "primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security"....
1544, adopted on May 19, 2004, after recalling resolutions 242
United Nations Security Council Resolution 242
United Nations Security Council Resolution 242 was adopted unanimously by the UN Security Council on November 22, 1967, in the aftermath of the Six Day War. It was adopted under Chapter VIof the United Nations Charter...
(1967), 338
United Nations Security Council Resolution 338
The three-line United Nations Security Council Resolution 338, adopted on October 22, 1973, called for a ceasefire in the Yom Kippur War in accordance with a joint proposal by the United States and the Soviet Union. The resolution stipulated a cease fire to take effect within 12 hours of the...
(1973), 446
United Nations Security Council Resolution 446
United Nations Security Council Resolution 446, adopted on March 22, 1979, concerned the issue of Israeli settlements in the "Arab territories occupied by Israel since 1967, including Jerusalem"...
(1979), 1322
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1322
In United Nations Security Council Resolution 1322, adopted on October 7, 2000, after recalling resolutions 476 , 478 , 672 and 1073 , the Council deplored the visit by Ariel Sharon to the Al-Aqsa Mosque and the subsequent violence which had resulted in the deaths of over 80 Palestinians.The...
(2000), 1397
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1397
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1397, adopted on March 12, 2002, after recalling resolutions 242 and 338 , the Council demanded an end to violence during the Second Intifada between the Israeli and Palestinian sides...
(2002), 1402
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1402
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1402, adopted on March 30, 2002, after recalling resolutions 242 , 338 , 1397 and the Madrid principles, the Council called for an immediate and meaningful ceasefire between the Israeli and Palestinian during Operation Defensive Shield...
(2002), 1403
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1403
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1403, adopted unanimously on April 4, 2002, after recalling resolutions 1397 and 1402 , the Council demanded the implementation of Resolution 1402 by the Israeli and Palestinian sides....
(2002), 1405
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1405
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1405, adopted unanimously on April 19, 2002, after recalling resolutions 242 , 338 , 1397 , 1402 and 1403 , the Council emphasised the necessity of humanitarian access to the Palestinian population.The Security Council was concerned by the humanitarian...
(2002), 1435
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1435
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1435, adopted on September 24, 2002, after recalling resolutions 242 , 338 , 1397 , 1402 and 1403 , the Council demanded the end to Israeli measures in Ramallah, including the destruction of Palestinian infrastructure.The Security Council reiterated its...
(2002) and 1515
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1515
United Nations Security Council Resolution 1515, adopted unanimously on November 19, 2003, after recalling all previous resolutions on the situation in the Middle East, particularly resolutions 242 , 338 , 1397 and the Madrid Principles, the Council endorsed the Road map for peace proposed by the...
(2003), the Council called on Israel
Israel
The State of Israel is a parliamentary republic located in the Middle East, along the eastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea...
to cease demolishing Palestinian
Palestinian people
The Palestinian people, also referred to as Palestinians or Palestinian Arabs , are an Arabic-speaking people with origins in Palestine. Despite various wars and exoduses, roughly one third of the world's Palestinian population continues to reside in the area encompassing the West Bank, the Gaza...
homes.
The United States
United States
The United States of America is a federal constitutional republic comprising fifty states and a federal district...
abstained
Abstention
Abstention is a term in election procedure for when a participant in a vote either does not go to vote or, in parliamentary procedure, is present during the vote, but does not cast a ballot. Abstention must be contrasted with "blank vote", in which a voter casts a ballot willfully made invalid by...
from the vote on Resolution 1544, saying it had urged Israel to exercise restraint and that the issue of Palestinian militants smuggling weapons through Gaza
Gaza
Gaza , also referred to as Gaza City, is a Palestinian city in the Gaza Strip, with a population of about 450,000, making it the largest city in the Palestinian territories.Inhabited since at least the 15th century BC,...
was not addressed.
Observations
The Security Council reiterated that Israel, as the occupying power, to abide by its legal obligations under the Fourth Geneva ConventionFourth Geneva Convention
The Geneva Convention relative to the Protection of Civilian Persons in Time of War, commonly referred to as the Fourth Geneva Convention and abbreviated as GCIV, is one of the four treaties of the Geneva Conventions. It was adopted in August 1949, and defines humanitarian protections for civilians...
, while it was called upon to address its security needs according to international law
International law
Public international law concerns the structure and conduct of sovereign states; analogous entities, such as the Holy See; and intergovernmental organizations. To a lesser degree, international law also may affect multinational corporations and individuals, an impact increasingly evolving beyond...
. It expressed its concern at the deterioration of the situation in the Israeli-occupied territories
Israeli-occupied territories
The Israeli-occupied territories are the territories which have been designated as occupied territory by the United Nations and other international organizations, governments and others to refer to the territory seized by Israel during the Six-Day War of 1967 from Egypt, Jordan, and Syria...
since 1967 and condemnation of the killing of a Palestinian in the Rafah
Rafah
Rafah , also known as Rafiah, is a Palestinian city in the southern Gaza Strip. Located south of Gaza, Rafah's population of 71,003 is overwhelmingly made up of Palestinian refugees. Rafah camp and Tall as-Sultan form separate localities. Rafah is the district capital of the Rafah Governorate...
area.
The preamble of the resolution also expressed concern at the demolition of Palestinian homes in the Rafah camp
Rafah camp
Rafah camp is one of eight Palestinian refugee camps in the Gaza Strip. It is located in the Rafah Governorate along the Egyptian-Palestinian Authority border. It was established in 1949 and currently forms part of the city of Rafah...
. The Council recalled the obligations of the Israeli government and the Palestinian Authority under the road map for peace
Road map for peace
The roadmap for peace or "road map" for peace is a plan to resolve the Israeli-Palestinian conflict proposed by a "quartet" of international entities: the United States, the European Union, Russia, and the United Nations. The principles of the plan, originally drafted by U.S. Foreign Service...
. All acts of terror, violence and destruction were condemned.
Acts
The Council called on Israel to respect its obligations under international humanitarian lawInternational humanitarian law
International humanitarian law , often referred to as the laws of war, the laws and customs of war or the law of armed conflict, is the legal corpus that comprises "the Geneva Conventions and the Hague Conventions, as well as subsequent treaties, case law, and customary international law." It...
and end the demolition of homes in violation of that law. There was concern at the humanitarian situation of Palestinians made homeless in the Rafah area and emergency assistance was required. Both parties were called upon to end violence, respect legal obligations and immediately implement their obligations under the road map.
See also
- Arab–Israeli conflictArab–Israeli conflictThe Arab–Israeli conflict refers to political tensions and open hostilities between the Arab peoples and the Jewish community of the Middle East. The modern Arab-Israeli conflict began with the rise of Zionism and Arab Nationalism towards the end of the nineteenth century, and intensified with the...
- Israeli–Palestinian conflictIsraeli–Palestinian conflictThe Israeli–Palestinian conflict is the ongoing conflict between Israelis and Palestinians. The conflict is wide-ranging, and the term is also used in reference to the earlier phases of the same conflict, between Jewish and Zionist yishuv and the Arab population living in Palestine under Ottoman or...
- List of United Nations Security Council Resolutions 1501 to 1600 (2003 – 2005)
- Second Intifada
- Violence in the Israeli–Palestinian conflict 2004