Israel / Palestine

Invoking a rarely used article of the UN Charter, Secretary-General António Guterres on Wednesday called on the Security Council to “press to avert a humanitarian catastrophe” in Gaza and unite in a call for a full humanitarian ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian militants.

UN human rights chief Volker Türk on Wednesday condemned serious sexual violations allegedly carried out by Hamas militants during their terror attacks in southern Israel on 7 October, while humanitarians in Gaza said conditions for civilians there had hit “rock bottom”, amid continued bombardment and mass displacement in the south.

[…] Qatar, which has been mediating between the two sides, said the agreement was being extended under the same terms as in the past, under which Hamas has released 10 Israeli hostages per day in exchange for 30 Palestinian prisoners.

The UN Security Council met intensively through Wednesday morning in New York on the Middle East crisis. It was the first open meeting since the 15-member body passed a resolution in mid-November and the first featuring foreign ministers from across the region and beyond.

Arab states and the European Union agreed at a meeting in Spain on Monday that a two-state solution was the answer to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, with EU foreign affairs chief Josep Borrell saying the Palestinian Authority should rule Gaza.

The issue of who will govern Gaza if Israel succeeds in dethroning Hamas poses one of the most challenging questions facing the world’s diplomats, with Israel, the United States and the region’s Arab leaders offering seemingly contradictory solutions.

After 47 days of intensive bombardment, near-total siege, and street-by-street fighting in the Gaza Strip, Israel and Hamas have agreed to a four-day pause in hostilities to allow for the release of dozens of hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners.

The grouping, which has previously focused on economic issues, called for an end to ‘war crimes’ in the Gaza conflict.

The UN chief said on Monday that in the current conflict between Israeli forces and Palestinian militants in Gaza, where thousands of children have been killed in the past few weeks, the world is witnessing a level of violence unprecedented during his time as Secretary-General. 

The UN Security Council succeeds in finding unity, adopting resolution 2712 on the Israel-Palestine crisis that began on 7 October, with 12 members voting in favour, none against and three abstentions (Russia, United Kingdom, United States), calling for “urgent and extended humanitarian pauses and corridors” in Gaza for “a sufficient number of days” to allow full, rapid, safe and unhindered access for UN agencies and partners. The Council “calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages held by Hamas and other groups, especially children.