Serife Cetin
07 November 2023•Update: 08 November 2023
NEW YORK
Members of the UN Security Council gathered on Monday in a closed session to address the situation in Gaza amid Israel’s ongoing bombardment.
The Council, meeting at the request of the United Arab Emirates and China, convened for the sixth time in an emergency session since Oct. 7, when the Palestinian group Hamas launched a surprise attack against Israel.
The 15-member council is expected to receive briefings from UN Under-Secretary-General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths and UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Tor Wennesland.
Before the session, Michel Xavier Biang, the permanent representative to the UN of Gabon, a non-permanent member of the Council, made a statement to the press regarding the Council's inability to reach an agreement.
Biang said competition between superpowers is one of the most fundamental problems, while the other is the inability to reach a consensus.
He emphasized that his country supports an immediate humanitarian cease-fire.
Last month, four different draft resolutions concerning Gaza were vetoed in the council.
Israel has launched air and ground attacks on the Gaza Strip following a cross-border attack by Hamas on Oct. 7.
At least 10,022 Palestinians, including 4,104 children and 2,641 women, have been killed in Israeli bombardments in the Gaza Strip.
Another 159 Palestinians have been killed and 2,250 injured by Israeli forces across the West Bank in the same period.
The Israeli death toll is nearly 1,600, according to official figures.
*Servet Gunerigok contributed to this story
