UN Secretary-General Warns of Devastating Conflict in Middle East as PA Seeks Full Member Status
On Thursday, April 18, the UN Security Council convened to discuss the situation in the Middle East and the Palestinian Authority’s request for full member status in the United Nations. Currently, the PA holds observer status. UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres opened the meeting with a warning that the Middle East is on the brink of a devastating conflict and urged all stakeholders to exercise maximum restraint.
Guterres condemned both Iranian attack on Israel and Israeli strike on Iranian consulate in Damascus, emphasizing that this cycle of violence must be broken. He called for an immediate cessation of hostilities in Gaza and demanded that all hostages held there be released immediately. The Secretary-General also expressed alarm at the explosive situation in West Bank where casualties on both sides have been mounting. He strongly criticized Israeli settlement expansion, which he said was a violation of international law. Furthermore, he called upon Israel to put an end to settler violence and protect Palestinians from harm.
The discussions at Security Council focused on Algeria’s draft resolution proposing full member status for Palestinian Authority (PA). However, reports indicated that US had planned to veto this resolution. The US government has emphasized direct negotiations between Israel and Palestinians as being key towards achieving peace in the region. The decision regarding PA’s request for full membership requires support from at least 9 out of 15 members without any veto from permanent members (USA, UK, France, Russia, China).
