The UN Security Council is set to meet at 3:00 PM New York time and is due to hold two meetings on the worsening situation across the Middle East, looking first at threats of forced displacement from Gaza and then the escalating conflict in and around the Red Sea – all as the war in Gaza approaches the 100-day mark. Follow this page for live updates.
3:05 PM
France’s Ambassador, Nicolas de Rivière, is chairing the Council for the month of January and he’s just gavelled it open.
3:02 PM
Both of the senior UN officials will be briefing ambassadors via videolink, and they’re in vision already waiting their turn to speak, on a giant screen above the iconic horseshoe table.
Both Israel and Palestine are going to have the chance to speak, likely at the end of the meeting.
Relief chief Martin Griffiths along with Ilze Brands Kehris, Assistant Secretary-General for the UN human rights office (OHCHR) are expected to brief ambassadors at the open meeting, called for by new Council member Algeria, whose ambassador has made clear he intends to represent the Arab voice in world affairs at this crucial time on the Council.
The meeting comes as tensions and threats increase across the whole Middle East, with alarming exchanges of fire along the Israel-Lebanon border, as well as attacks by Houthi rebels in Yemen on international shipping in the Red Sea.
On Thursday night, the United States and the United Kingdom retaliated against Houthi positions inside Yemen, an escalation that is directly linked to events inside Gaza as the rebels make common cause with Hamas.
Earlier this week, on Wednesday, the Council held closed-door consultations where it considered a report by the Secretary-General on the implementation of resolution 2712, which among other points, called for “urgent and extended” humanitarian pauses in Gaza, as well as an immediate release of hostages.
Also on Wednesday, the 15-member Security Council adopted a resolution strongly condemning the attacks by Houthi rebels off the coast of Yemen. The resolution passed with 11 votes in favour, with four abstentions: China, Russia, Algeria and Mozambique.
