On April 18, the UN Security Council held a meeting to discuss the situation in the Middle East and Palestine’s request for full member status in the United Nations. The Palestinian Authority (PA) currently holds observer status. In his opening address, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres expressed concern about the brink of crisis in the Middle East and urged all parties to exercise restraint to prevent a potential conflict. Guterres also condemned recent attacks between Iran and Israel, calling for an end to the cycle of violence.
Guterres highlighted the dire humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip, where ongoing hostilities have led to a crisis. He also raised concerns about the escalating violence in the West Bank, emphasizing the need for Israel to end settler violence and protect the Palestinian population. Guterres called for immediate action to address the violence and uphold international law.
During the meeting, Russia proposed a draft resolution on behalf of the Arab group to address the situation. However, Israeli representative Gilad Erdan denounced the meeting as a reward for terrorism, expressing strong opposition to granting full member status to PA. The United States, a veto-holding member of Security Council, indicated its intention to block resolution emphasizing direct negotiations between Israel and Palestinians are necessary for peace resolution.
To achieve full member status, PA must secure support from at least nine Security Council members without any veto being exercised by permanent members. The outcome of this meeting remains uncertain as differing perspectives and interests are at play reflecting complex and volatile dynamics in region highlighting challenges of addressing long-standing conflicts and pursuing peaceful resolution.
