Photo: MOHAMMED ABED / AFP / Getty Images
The UN Security Council will hold a virtual public meeting on Sunday 16 May, to address the growing violence between Israelis and Palestinians , diplomatic sources announced.
The United States, which had originally blocked a session scheduled for Friday and proposed a meeting early next week, agreed to reschedule the session, requested by Tunisia, Norway and China, to Sunday.
“The UN Security Council will meet to discuss the situation in Israel and Gaza on Sunday ”, announced on Twitter the US ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, who said that the nation she represents “will continue to be actively involved in diplomacy at the highest level to try to reduce go tensions. ”
The UN Security Council will meet to discuss the situation in Israel and Gaza on Sunday. The US will continue to actively engage in diplomacy at the highest levels to try to de-escalate tensions.
– Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield (@USAmbUN) May 13, 2021
The Israeli Army began an intense bombardment from the ground and air in the Gaza Strip on Thursday night in full escalation of the war that started five days ago, while international mediators try to stop it. that it could be another devastating war if Israel carries out a ground warfare operation in the Gaza Strip with its troops.
“The Army’s air and ground forces are currently attacking in the Gaza Strip, ”the Israeli force reported on the largest offensive launched since Monday, which until this Thursday leave at least 103 killed in Gaza and 8 in Israel by gunfire rocket of Palestinian militias.
The mission of Norway at the United Nations, which was the one who requested the Security Council meeting together with Tunisia and China, this Thursday described the situation in the Middle East as “critical” on social media, and asked that “innocent civilians not be allowed to suffer.”
For his part, the Chinese Ambassador to the UN, Zhang Jun , who holds the rotating presidency of the Council of Security, affirmed that his country is “deeply concerned” by the escalation of tensions in the occupied Palestinian territory. ”
This is the third meeting that this body would hold from the United Nations this week on the recent rise in tensions between Israelis and Palestinians , after the two that took place to pu It was closed, one on Monday and one on Wednesday.
The announcement of the new session of the Security Council was It occurs hours after the US blocked a meeting this Friday, to delay it for a few days.
“ We are willing and we support the discussion, an open discussion, in the United Nations. I think we are looking at the beginning of next week. I hope this will give some time for diplomacy to have some effect and let’s see if in fact we have a real de-escalation, “said the US Secretary of State, Antony. Blinken.
The UN Security Council does not has been officially expressed so far on the crisis , after the US did not accept a proposal circulated by other members, arguing that it would not be useful to reduce tension, according to sources
This type of statement usually requires the unanimity of the fifteen member states of the Security Council, where Washington has traditionally been Israel’s main defender.
The worst escalation of violence between Palestinians and Israelis in the last seven years is already spreading through different cities and the Israeli army moved more troops to the border on Thursday with Gaza for a ground operation, as massive rocket fire from militias inside the enclave and Israeli bombardment continues.