The Middle East, including the Palestinian Question: Briefing and Consultations*
Tomorrow morning (18 December), the Security Council will hold an open briefing, followed by closed consultations, on “The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question” (MEPQ). Assistant Secretary-General for the Middle East, Asia and the Pacific Mohamed Khaled Khiari and two civil society representatives are the expected briefers.*
Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Tor Wennesland briefed the Security Council for the last time in this capacity on 25 November. Consultations are apparently ongoing to appoint his successor.
At tomorrow’s meeting, Khiari is expected to brief on the Secretary-General’s latest quarterly report on the implementation of resolution 2334 of 23 December 2016. This resolution demanded that Israel cease all settlement activities in the Occupied Palestinian Territory (OPT), including East Jerusalem, and called for immediate steps to prevent violence against civilians, including acts of terror. The latest report on resolution 2334 was circulated to Council members on 13 December and covers the period between 12 September and 6 December (S/2024/913).
Khiari is likely to address the dire situation in the Gaza Strip in her briefing. In this respect, she may echo observations contained in the Secretary-General’s report, which says, among other things, that the “relentless bombardment of Gaza by Israeli forces, the large number of civilian casualties, the blanket destruction of Palestinian neighbourhoods and the worsening humanitarian situation by the day are appalling”. Khiari may refer to the situation in northern Gaza, which has been under siege by the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) since early October. The Secretary-General’s report stresses that Israel’s military operations in this area “are making the conditions of life untenable for the Palestinian population”. She may condemn, as the Secretary-General does in his report, Israel’s use of “explosive weapons with wide-area effects in densely populated areas that has caused massive casualties and damage to residential buildings, schools, hospitals, mosques and UN premises”. Khiari is also likely to reiterate the Secretary-General’s condemnation of the 7 October 2023 Hamas-led attacks in Israel, his call for the immediate and unconditional release of the hostages held in Gaza by Palestinian armed groups, and for the humane treatment of the hostages while in captivity.
Khiari may note that the level of aid entering Gaza and reaching Palestinians in need remains vastly inadequate due to factors such as restrictions imposed by Israel, including the high rate of denials of humanitarian movement requests and restrictions to the entry of goods, as well as looting of humanitarian cargo by armed Palestinians. She may urge all sides to guarantee the predictable entry and unimpeded movement of food, fuel, and medicine, as well as shelter material and repair equipment. Khiari may reiterate, as the Secretary-General’s report does, that “Israel, as the Occupying Power, has the responsibility to ensure the safety and security of the Palestinian population and ensure that their needs are met”.
Another expected focus of tomorrow’s meeting is the volatile situation in the West Bank, including the high levels of violence, the continuation of Israeli settlement activity, and the demolition and seizure of Palestinian-owned structures. Among other things, the Secretary-General notes in his report several conclusions reached by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) in its 19 July Advisory Opinion on the “Legal Consequences arising from the Policies and Practices of Israel in the OPT, including East Jerusalem”. These include that Israel’s continued presence in the OPT is unlawful and must end as rapidly as possible, and that the “prolonged character of Israel’s unlawful policies and practices aggravates their violation of the right of the Palestinian people to self-determination”. Khiari and some Council members may refer to these conclusions tomorrow.
Although past reports of a possible ceasefire deal did not materialise, recent media reports and public messaging from representatives of the US, Israel, and Hamas have expressed optimism regarding the possibility of an agreement. At tomorrow’s meeting, Council members are expected to reiterate their long-standing calls for a ceasefire and the release of all hostages. Members are also likely to restate their grave concern at the humanitarian situation in Gaza. Some might refer to Amnesty International’s 5 December report, which concludes that “following 7 October 2023, Israel committed and is committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza”. More generally, members are likely to urge the conflict parties to respect international humanitarian law and protect all civilians from harm.
Tomorrow’s briefing and consultations mark the last regular meeting on the MEPQ currently scheduled for this year. The five outgoing elected members of the Security Council (Ecuador, Japan, Malta, Mozambique, and Switzerland) may take this opportunity to look back at their tenure and offer departing thoughts. Among other things, they might stress the importance of re-establishing a political process between Israelis and Palestinians leading to a two-state solution and express their support for any initiative promoting peace and dialogue in the Middle East.
Following the US veto on 20 November of a draft resolution co-authored by the ten elected members of the Council (E10) that would have demanded an immediate, unconditional, and permanent ceasefire and the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, the General Assembly adopted several resolutions on the situation in the OPT. Tomorrow, some Council members may refer to these resolutions or the issues they focused on, including the two resolutions adopted on 11 December by the resumed Tenth Emergency Special Session (ESS) of the General Assembly on “Illegal Israeli actions in occupied East Jerusalem and the rest of the Occupied Palestinian Territory”. The first resolution (A/ES-10/L.32) affirms support for the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), deplores the legislation on UNRWA adopted by the Knesset (Israeli Parliament) in October, and warns against any attempts to dismantle or diminish UNRWA’s operations and mandate. (For background on the legislation on UNRWA, see the brief on “The Middle East, including the Palestinian Question” in our November 2024 Monthly Forecast.) Among other things, the second resolution (A/ES-10/L.33) demands a permanent ceasefire, the release of all hostages, and immediate access for the civilian population in Gaza to “basic services and humanitarian assistance indispensable to its survival”, and rejects “any effort to starve Palestinians”.
The General Assembly is also expected to vote on a draft resolution proposed by Norway, which expresses concern over the Knesset’s legislation on UNRWA and asks the ICJ to render an Advisory Opinion on Israel’s obligations in relation to the presence and activities of the UN in and around the OPT, including regarding the unhindered provision of supplies essential to the survival of Palestinian civilians. The vote on this draft resolution is currently expected by the end of this week.
Tomorrow’s meeting follows the 10 December briefing in consultations by Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator (SHRC) for Gaza Sigrid Kaag, which focused on the implementation of resolution 2720. The resolution, which was adopted in December 2023, requested the Secretary-General to appoint a SHRC mandated with establishing a UN mechanism for accelerating humanitarian consignments to Gaza. It seems that the consultations focused on the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, including challenges to access and distribution of aid, Kaag’s engagement with Israeli and Palestinian officials, the situation concerning UNRWA, and the future of the 2720 mandate.
Looking ahead, Council members are likely to continue to closely monitor the situation in Israel and the OPT and may choose to hold further meetings or consider issuing a Council product depending on developments, including if a ceasefire agreement is reached.
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**Post-script: An earlier version of the story indicated that Under-Secretary-General for Political and Peacebuilding Affairs Rosemary DiCarlo and one civil society representative will brief at the meeting. The story was amended to reflect the change in briefers.
