The Middle East, including the Palestinian Question: Briefing and Consultations
On Tuesday morning (16 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). Deputy Special Coordinator and Resident Coordinator at the Office of the UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process (UNSCO) Ramiz Alakbarov 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 activity 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 11 December and covers the period from 20 September to 2 December (S/2025/807).
In his briefing, Alakbarov is likely to update Council members on settlement activity in the occupied West Bank. According to the Secretary-General’s report, Israeli authorities advanced or approved over 6,310 housing units during the reporting period, while “settlement advancement indicators” in 2025 reached their highest levels since the UN began systematically tracking these measures in 2017. On Tuesday, many Council members are likely to condemn these developments, and some may reiterate their call on Israel to abide by the July 2024 advisory opinion of the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which found that Israel is obligated to end its unlawful presence in the OPT “as rapidly as possible”.
Alakbarov is also likely to report on continuing violence against civilians in the occupied West Bank. According to the Secretary-General’s report, 38 Palestinians—including 12 children—were killed by Israeli security forces there during the reporting period, while two Israelis were killed by Palestinians. Expanded Israeli security operations continued across the territory as part of the large-scale operation that began in January and has involved extensive demolitions of homes and civilian infrastructure in refugee camps, displacing tens of thousands of Palestinians, who have not been permitted to return to their homes. The Secretary-General’s report also describes intensified settler violence, which has reached “its highest levels recorded in recent years”, averaging five incidents per day in 2025—many in the context of the annual olive harvest, which is a key source of income and livelihood for Palestinians in the West Bank.
Developments in Gaza are another expected major focus of Tuesday’s meeting. Alakbarov is likely to describe recent efforts to advance the “Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict” 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 in exchange for the release of Palestinian detainees, a partial withdrawal of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) from Gaza, and an increase in humanitarian aid into the territory. At the time of writing, Hamas had released all living hostages and the remains of all but one of the deceased hostages. Meanwhile, Israel has released Palestinian detainees at an agreed ratio and re-deployed to an initial withdrawal line, retaining control of an estimated 53 to 58 percent of the territory of Gaza, according to the Secretary-General’s report.
The ceasefire remains fragile and continues to be interrupted by periodic violence. According to the Secretary-General’s report citing local health authorities, at least 1,938 Palestinians in Gaza were killed by the IDF during the reporting period, bringing the total Palestinian death toll since 7 October 2023 past 70,000. Of these casualties, at least 356 Palestinians—including at least 58 children—were killed since the ceasefire came into effect. During the reporting period, three IDF soldiers were killed by members of Palestinian armed groups, some of whom reportedly remain trapped in underground tunnels in IDF-controlled parts of the enclave. In this context, the Secretary-General’s report urges the parties to “fully implement the terms of the ceasefire, exercise maximum restraint, and adhere to their obligations under international law”. Alakbarov and Council members are likely to convey similar messages at Tuesday’s meeting.
The second stage of the Comprehensive Plan 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, endorsing the Comprehensive Plan, 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).
On 10 December, Trump said that the BoP will consist of heads of state who will be named “early next year”. Media reports have indicated that the US aims to deploy the ISF after the establishment of the BoP and will appoint a two-star general to lead the force, although it will not participate with its own troops. Countries such as Azerbaijan, Indonesia, and Türkiye have previously signalled an interest in contributing to the force, but these talks have reportedly been complicated by uncertainty surrounding its mandate and whether it will be expected to forcibly disarm Hamas. Meanwhile, Hamas and the PA have reportedly agreed on a shortlist of candidates to serve on the technocratic governance committee envisioned by the Comprehensive Plan.
On Tuesday, several speakers are likely to underscore the importance of proceeding to the second phase of the plan in order to maintain and consolidate the ceasefire. Some Council members may stress the need to implement its provisions in a manner consistent with international law, including international humanitarian law and international human rights law, and to expeditiously hand over governance of Gaza to a reformed and empowered PA, ensuring a viable political process towards a two-state solution and Palestinian self-determination. China and Russia may reiterate their reservations concerning the plan and repeat their calls for more information regarding the composition and terms of reference of both the BoP and ISF. Ambassador Mike Waltz (US) may describe his recent visit to the Civil-Military Coordination Centre, which the US established in Israel in October to support implementation of the Comprehensive Plan.
The humanitarian situation in Gaza is another expected focus of Tuesday’s meeting. According to the Secretary-General’s report, humanitarian conditions in the enclave have improved during the ceasefire but remain “catastrophic”, marked by widespread destruction, forced displacement, and collapsed essential services and critical infrastructure. In its latest situation update, dated 11 December, the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) reported that the UN and its partners collected approximately 100,000 metric tonnes of aid from border crossings in the two months since the ceasefire went into effect, representing a 67 percent increase in the volume of collected supplies compared with the preceding two months. OCHA stressed, however, that humanitarian access remains constrained by insecurity, customs clearance challenges, the limited number of partners authorised by Israeli authorities to bring cargo into Gaza, delays and denials of cargo at operational crossings, and limited routes available for transporting humanitarian supplies within Gaza. Insufficient shelter remains a particularly acute problem amid frigid winter conditions and rainstorms: due to “major limitations” imposed by the Israeli government on the entry of shelter supplies, fewer than 50,000 tents have entered Gaza, where an estimated 1.28 million people remain in need of urgent shelter assistance. On 8 December, the UN launched a $4.06 billion flash appeal for the OPT, allocating 92 percent of required funds for the humanitarian response in the Gaza Strip.
On Tuesday, most Council members are likely to call on Israel to uphold its international legal obligation to facilitate humanitarian aid into Gaza, including by opening all border crossings and lifting onerous requirements for the registration of international non-government organisations (INGOs) operating in the enclave. Many members may also condemn Israel’s 8 December raid on the East Jerusalem compound of the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA) and call on the country to abide by the ICJ’s 22 October advisory opinion, which found that Israel, as an occupying power, is obligated to allow UN agencies, including UNRWA, to provide humanitarian aid in Gaza.