The United Nations Security Council has convened a special session on the Middle East and Palestine, with four of its five permanent members — the United Kingdom, France, China, and Russia — voicing strong opposition to Israel’s decision to further expand its military operations in Gaza.
The United States, however, reiterated its continued support for Israel.
During the meeting, UK Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN James Kariuki warned that Israel’s move would have no benefit and would only worsen an already catastrophic humanitarian crisis.
France’s Deputy Permanent Representative Jay Dharmadhikari said Paris “strongly condemns” Israel’s plan to broaden operations to seize control of Gaza City.
China’s Permanent Representative Fu Cong stressed that Israel’s ongoing attacks were causing an unprecedented humanitarian disaster, insisting that any attempt to occupy Gaza must be firmly opposed.
Russia’s Deputy Permanent Representative Dmitry Polyanskiy also criticised the decision, calling it a clear violation of international law and a serious blow to the two-state solution.
The US reacted to the opposition within the Council, with Acting Deputy Permanent Representative Dorothy Shea defending Washington’s stance.
he maintained that the US was working intensively to secure the release of hostages and bring an end to the situation in Gaza.
