Thank you, Mr. President.

At the top, I want to express my deepest condolences to the families and loved ones of last week’s terrorist attack in Moscow. We condemn terrorism in all its forms and stand in solidarity with the Russian people in grieving the loss of life from this horrific event.

Colleagues, today, this Council spoke out in support of the ongoing diplomatic efforts, led by the United States, Qatar, Egypt, to bring about an immediate and sustainable ceasefire, secure the immediate release of all hostages, and help alleviate the tremendous suffering of Palestinian civilians in Gaza, who are in dire need of protection and life-saving humanitarian assistance.

The United States fully supports these critical objectives. In fact, they were the foundation of the resolution we put forward last week, a resolution that Russia and China vetoed.

But colleagues, the United States’ support for these objectives is not simply rhetorical. We are working around the clock to make them real, on the ground, through diplomacy, because we know that it is only through diplomacy that we can push this agenda forward.