Algeria has requested an urgent meeting of the United Nations Security Council to address the escalating situation in the West Bank and Gaza Strip, following intensified military operations by the Israeli army.
The meeting, expected to be scheduled by the Slovenian presidency of the Security Council before the end of this week, comes amid a severe security crackdown in the West Bank. Since October, the crackdown has resulted in nearly 700 civilian casualties, including over 150 children, and has caused hundreds of millions of dollars in damage to infrastructure. The relentless military actions by Israeli forces in Gaza have increased the death toll to approximately 41,000.
The Algerian initiative was coordinated with the Permanent Observer Mission of Palestine to the United Nations in New York.
The upcoming Security Council session is anticipated to allow members to reaffirm their support for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and renew their commitment to a two-state solution as the only viable path to lasting and fair peace in the Middle East. It will also provide an opportunity to oppose the policies of the Zionist occupation authorities aimed at undermining any prospects for a Palestinian state and denying the historical rights of the Palestinian people.
Last Wednesday, August 28, the Israeli military and the Shin Bet security service announced a joint statement launching a military operation in the cities of Jenin and Tulkarm in the West Bank aimed at “combating terrorism.”
The Palestinian Ministry of Health reported casualties since the beginning of the Israeli military operation in the West Bank, with 18 deaths in Jenin, 4 in Tubas, 4 in Tulkarm, and 3 in Hebron.
