At the Request of Algeria and Slovenia, UN Security Council Convenes
The UN Security Council is scheduled to hold an information session followed by closed consultations regarding the humanitarian situation in Gaza this Wednesday evening in New York, under the agenda item: “The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question.”
This meeting, called at the request of Algeria and Slovenia, will feature presentations from Lisa Doughton, head of the financial section of the Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), and Philippe Lazzarini, the Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA).
It is important to note that UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres issued a warning to the Israeli authorities on Tuesday against any actions that would undermine UNRWA, emphasizing that this humanitarian agency “is essential and cannot be replaced.”
Guterres’ warning follows threats from the Israeli authorities to introduce a draft resolution aimed at obstructing UNRWA’s fundamental operations in the occupied Palestinian territories. He clarified that such legislation would be entirely incompatible with the United Nations Charter.
Established by a decision of the UN General Assembly in 1949, UNRWA was mandated to provide assistance to Palestinian refugees in its five areas of operation: Jordan, Syria, Lebanon, the occupied West Bank, and the Gaza Strip, until a resolution to their plight is achieved.
Wednesday’s Security Council meeting takes place amid the ongoing aggression launched by Israeli forces against Gaza since October 7, 2023, despite the adoption of two UN resolutions calling for an immediate ceasefire in the region—resolutions that have not been honored by the Israeli occupiers.
Consequently, the toll from the Israeli military campaign against Gaza has risen to 42,010 fatalities and 97,720 injuries, primarily among women and children, according to Palestinian health authorities.
This brutal assault has resulted in widespread destruction of infrastructure, leading to an unprecedented humanitarian crisis within the enclave.
