Thank you, Mr. President. Let me thank Special Representative Hennis-Plasschaert for your briefing today on this horrific attack. I would like to welcome the presence of the Iraqi Foreign Minister and the Representative of Türkiye.
The United States strongly condemns the attack on July 20 in the Dohuk province of Iraq, which took the lives of nine Iraqi citizens – including children – and injured many more. We extend our condolences to the families of those killed and our sympathies to those injured.
The killing of civilians is unacceptable. Always. And all parties have an obligation under international law, including under international humanitarian law, to ensure the protection of civilians. To that end, we look forward to receiving additional information and more clarity pertaining to the facts of the attack. The more fidelity we have on exactly what happened, the better chance we have of preventing future attacks and civilian casualties.
In the meantime, we call on all parties to respect Iraq’s sovereignty and territorial integrity – and to refrain from actions that imperil civilians, inflame tensions, and increase the risk of military conflict. Iraq and Iraqis deserves a more secure, stable, and prosperous future.
Thank you, Mr. President.
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