Israel-Palestine conflict: UNSC to hold open meeting on the issue as tensions escalate

The United Nations (UN) Security Council on May 16 will hold an open meeting to discuss the ongoing Israel-Palestine conflict. As the health ministry in Gaza said on Friday that the death toll due to fire exchange has risen to 119 including children and Israel said its casualties have risen to eight, Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the UN said on Twitter that the meeting will commence at 10 AM EDT on Sunday. Zhang also said that China is “deeply concerned” about the escalation of tensions between Palestine and Israel while calling for urgent action and a “strong message.” 

China's permanent representative to the UN also expressed regret over the Friday meeting being cancelled after it was “blocked” by the United States. Further, Norwegian Mission to the UN revealed that Sunday’s meeting was proposed by Norway, Tunisia and China. For the month of May, China holds the UNSC presidency. On the Israel-Palestine issue, which witnessed a drastic escalation in the recent weeks, two rounds of closed-door consultations have been held by the United Nations Security Council. 

UN Sec-Gen’s appeal on Eid amid Israel-Palestine crisis

Secretary-General of the United Nations Antonio Guterres on May 14 appealed for cessation of conflict “out of respect for Eid” which is a religious holiday that marks the end of month-long dawn-to-sunset fasting of Ramadan. Noting that “too many” civilian casualties have already mounted since the violence began in the region, Guterres said that the ongoing conflict will only elevate the “radicalization and extremism” in the entire area. Earlier, in a joint statement, Russian President Vladimir Putin and United Nations Secretary-General also called for an end to the conflict. 

According to a statement released by Kremlin on May 13, both Guterres and Putin backed the ‘Two-state union’ to ensure peace in the region. "In light of the escalation of the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, it was stated that the primary task is to stop violent actions on both sides and ensure the safety of the civilian population," the Kremlin said in a statement after a  video call with Guterres.

Image credits: AP