On Sunday, the United Nations Security Council will convene to address the escalating conflict between Israel and Palestine, ignited by the actions of the Islamist group Hamas.
The session will be held at 3:00 PM local time in New York behind closed doors and will focus on “the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian issue.”
On Saturday, Brazil, which currently holds the Presidency of the Security Council, announced it would call for an “emergency meeting” due to the severe escalation of violence between Israel and the Palestinian Territories.
Israel declared a state of war after Palestinian militias in Gaza launched a surprise operation with over 1,000 rockets and infiltrated Israeli territory. In response, Israel unleashed intense airstrikes in Gaza, resulting in at least 198 Palestinians killed and 1,160 injured.
⚡️Extremely violent zionist regime airstrikes on Gaza now pic.twitter.com/ASH7ZLI0LW
— War Monitor (@WarMonitors) October 7, 2023
Arab League Secretary Ahmed Abulgheit urged an immediate halt to military operations in Gaza, reminding that he had repeatedly warned that “Israel’s adoption of violent and extremist policies is akin to a ticking time bomb.”
Currently, Egypt, which plays a key role as a mediator between Israel and Palestine, is engaged in intensive diplomacy with several countries “to ensure unified and consistent efforts… and to prevent the situation from spiraling out of control.”
More specifically, Egyptian Foreign Affairs Minister Sameh Shokri discussed the de-escalation of the conflict with foreign ministers Catherine Colonna (France), Annalena Baerbock (Germany), Ayman al Safadi (Jordan), and Abdala bin Zayed (United Arab Emirates).
He also addressed the issue with the High Representative of the European Union for Foreign Affairs, Josep Borrell.
