UNSC to hold open session on Israel-Palestine crisis
After being postponed by the United States, the UN Security Council is set to host an open session today to address the Israel-Palestine crisis.
The meeting comes as the worst violence between Israel and Palestine in years continues to intensify this week. Despite widespread calls for a ceasefire, prior UNSC meetings have seen the international community offer little more than de-escalatory rhetoric.
In the short-term, today’s session is likely to result in the UNSC targeting Egypt, Jordan and Qatar as key regional actors with influence over Hamas currently working towards the implementation of a ceasefire. Over the weekend, these actors were able to negotiate a 12-hour ceasefire, the terms of which Israel rejected likely because the United States has yet to use its own crucial influence on Tel Aviv towards a meaningful settlement. The Biden administration remains likely to stand by its public position that Israel retains the right of self defense, although the White House nevertheless contends that back-channel negotiations are taking place. In the medium- to long-term, the Biden administration will have to weigh its desires to disengage from the region against political pressure from progressives in Congress who wish to project a foreign policy that places human rights front-and-center.
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