UN GENERAL ASSEMBLY CONVENES EMERGENCY MEETING ON GAZA – To discuss the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, amid continuing deadlock
The United Nations General Assembly resumed its 10th emergency special session on Thursday to discuss the ongoing Israeli-Palestinian conflict, amid continuing deadlock in the Security Council. More than 100 representatives are expected to speak at the two-day emergency meeting of the 193-member body.
General Assembly President Dennis Francis, in his opening remarks, condemned all attacks targeting civilians. He urged member states not to further fan the flames of hate starting at this session, and called for an immediate and unconditional humanitarian ceasefire and the opening of aid corridors to save lives.
Riyad Mansour, Palestine’s Permanent Observer to the UN, said what is happening in Gaza is not a war, but an indiscriminate attack on all the Palestinian people, and Palestinian people’s rights had been ignored for too long.
Israel’s permanent representative Gilad Erdan stressed that his country’s actions are aimed at the elimination of Hamas and the security of the Israeli people.
Jordan and other countries have already tabled a draft resolution on the crisis, after the Security Council’s repeated failure to reach any consensus in the past two weeks. Whats happening in the UN is almost childlike with two sides refusing to support the resolutions of the other.
The resumed emergency special session is scheduled to run into Friday when the Chinese speaker will also take the floor, and the Jordanian-backed draft resolution is expected to be voted on.