The Middle East, including the Palestinian Question: Briefing and Consultations
On Monday morning (24 November), the Security Council will hold its regular monthly open briefing on “The situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question” (MEPQ). The expected briefer is Ramiz Alakbarov, the Deputy Special Coordinator and Resident Coordinator at the Office of the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process (UNSCO). Closed consultations are scheduled to follow the open briefing.
A major focus of Monday’s meeting is likely to be the implementation of the “Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict” (also known as the “20-point plan”) that US President Donald Trump announced in late September. The first phase of the plan, which Israel and Hamas agreed to on 8 October, established the current ceasefire in Gaza and called for Hamas to release the remaining hostages that it was holding—20 living and 28 deceased—in exchange for the release of nearly 2,000 Palestinian detainees, a partial withdrawal of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) from Gaza, and an increase in humanitarian aid into the territory. In accordance with the deal, Hamas released all the living hostages on 13 October. It has also returned the remains of most of the deceased hostages, but the group says that locating and retrieving some of the bodies has been complicated by the scale of destruction in Gaza. At the time of writing, 25 of the deceased hostages had been returned. Meanwhile, Israel has released Palestinian detainees at the agreed ratio and re-deployed to an initial withdrawal line.
The ceasefire remains fragile and has been interrupted by intermittent violence, with each side accusing the other of violating the agreement. In the most recent incident on 18 November, Israel launched strikes across the Gaza Strip, reportedly killing at least 25 Palestinians. The IDF stated that it had launched the attacks after militants fired at IDF soldiers in the southern city of Khan Younis. At Monday’s meeting, Alakbarov and Council members are likely to call on both parties to abide fully by their ceasefire obligations.
Speakers may also encourage efforts to advance to the second stage of the Comprehensive Plan, which calls for the decommissioning of Hamas’ weapons; the further withdrawal of the IDF, which will progressively hand over security responsibility for Gaza to an International Stabilization Force (ISF); and the establishment of an interim technocratic government in Gaza comprising Palestinian and international experts under the oversight of a Board of Peace (BoP), which will be chaired by Trump. This body is to eventually cede control of Gaza to a reformed Palestinian Authority (PA), at which point “the conditions may finally be in place for a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood”.
On 17 November, the Security Council adopted resolution 2803, welcoming the establishment of the BoP and authorising the body to establish the ISF. The resolution, which was penned by the US, received 13 votes in favour and two abstentions (China and Russia). At Monday’s meeting, some Council members may call for the swift implementation of the resolution in order to consolidate peace efforts and sustain their political momentum. Some members may underscore their expectation that the resolution will be implemented in a manner consistent with international law and ensure a pathway towards the realisation of Palestinians’ right to self-determination. For their part, China and Russia may repeat their reservations concerning the resolution, including what they view as equivocal language on Palestinian statehood that is inconsistent with the Council’s previous pronouncements on the issue, as well as a perceived lack of clarity regarding the parameters of the transitional period in Gaza, such as the composition and terms of reference of the BoP and ISF. Some members may seek more information on these aspects during the closed consultations on Monday. (For more information on resolution 2803, see our 16 November What’s in Blue story.)
Speakers are also likely to express continued concern about the humanitarian situation in Gaza. According to the most recent weekly update by the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA), issued yesterday (20 November), heavy rains this month have severely worsened conditions for displaced Palestinians, flooding makeshift shelters and destroying an estimated 13,000 tents, affecting over 740,000 people across 715 displacement sites. The deteriorating shelter conditions combined with overcrowding and exposure to untreated sewage have compounded winter-related protection risks and heightened health and safety concerns, particularly for women, children, older persons, and persons with disabilities. OCHA also reported that aid entry, despite some increases, remains insufficient as restrictions on key supplies—including shelter materials—still impede the scale-up of the humanitarian response. In a 15 November interview, UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) Deputy Commissioner-General Natalie Boucly said that no more than half of the estimated 500 to 600 daily truckloads required to meet humanitarian needs were allowed to enter the enclave due to continued Israeli restrictions.
Looking ahead, some speakers on Monday may highlight the critical challenge of mobilising resources for Gaza’s long-term reconstruction. According to a UN Development Programme (UNDP) official, nearly 85 percent of buildings in the enclave have been damaged or destroyed during the war, resulting in between 55 to 60 million tonnes of rubble. A needs analysis published in October by the UN, the World Bank, and the European Union (EU) estimated that reconstruction would cost $70 billion. In March, the League of Arab States (LAS) endorsed a $53 billion reconstruction plan at a summit in Egypt, where another reconstruction conference is expected to take place “in the coming weeks”, according to Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty. At Monday’s meeting, some Council members may signal their intention to support those efforts.
Another expected focus of Monday’s meeting is the situation in the occupied West Bank, where settler violence has continued to rise. On 14 November, the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR) reported that over 260 settler attacks took place during October—the most recorded in one month since the UN began regularly tracking such incidents in 2006. In total between 7 October 2023 and 13 November, Israeli settlers and security forces killed at least 1,017 Palestinians in the West Bank, including 221 children, according to OHCHR. During the same period, 59 Israelis were killed in Palestinian attacks or alleged attacks or armed clashes. Meanwhile, settlement expansion and the demolition of Palestinian structures have continued, and over 32,000 residents of northern refugee camps in the West Bank reportedly remain displaced as a result of Israeli security operations, constituting the largest displacement of Palestine refugees since 1967, according to UNRWA.
Speakers on Monday are also likely to refer to other regional developments. Some Council members may express concern at Israel’s continued presence in and strikes on southern Lebanon—which Israel says are intended to prevent Hezbollah from rebuilding its capabilities in the area—and call on the parties to comply with the 26 November 2024 cessation of hostilities arrangement between Israel and Lebanon. Additionally, following the reimposition of UN sanctions against Iran, some members may reiterate calls on the country to report on the status of its highly enriched uranium, allow the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) to resume monitoring of its nuclear facilities, and restart negotiations on a new diplomatic agreement on its nuclear programme.
By contrast, some may note that positive developments in Syria, including its restoration of ties with the international community, have led to the delisting of interim Syrian President Ahmed al-Sharaa and interim Syrian Interior Minister Anas Khattab from the Council’s 1267/1989/2253 Islamic State in Iraq and the Levant (ISIL/Da’esh) and Al-Qaida sanctions list. In this regard, the US may mention the 10 November meeting between Sharaa and Trump in Washington D.C.—reportedly the first ever visit to the White House by a Syrian head of state. At the same time, there may be expressions of concern about ongoing tensions in Syria, resulting from struggles among various armed groups, and emphasise that advancing full inclusion, transitional justice, and reconciliation efforts is central to the success of the political transition in the country.
