UN Security Council holds emergency meeting on Gaza humanitarian crisis

The United Nations Security Council convened an emergency session in New York to address the humanitarian situation in Gaza. Saudi Arabia, speaking for the Arab Group, reaffirmed support for a two‑state solution based on the 1967 borders, called for the immediate and sustained delivery of humanitarian aid, and rejected Israeli settlement expansion and attempts to alter the status of Jerusalem. The Kingdom welcomed U.S.-led ceasefire initiatives and urged the Council to implement relevant UN resolutions, including Resolution 2334.

Palestinian Permanent Observer Riyad Mansour delivered a stark indictment of Israel’s conduct, describing the situation as a “manufactured human catastrophe” and urging the Council to move beyond rhetoric to decisive action. He highlighted that over 70,000 Palestinians have been killed and noted that the emergency meeting was requested by ten elected Council members—Bahrain, Colombia, Democratic Republic of Congo, Denmark, Greece, Latvia, Liberia, Pakistan, Panama, and Somalia—with the support of China, France, Russia, and the United Kingdom. Mansour also criticized Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon for repeatedly ignoring Palestinian representatives during Council sessions.