The United Arab Emirates has called for a private consultation of the United Nations Security Council scheduled for the upcoming Monday, in response to the renewed fighting in the Gaza Strip. This call is amidst growing Arab and international appeals for the extension of the humanitarian truce, which expired a few hours after the ceasefire ended.
The UAE’s permanent mission to the United Nations, in a message published on its official platform ‘X’ yesterday, stated, “The United Arab Emirates has called for a closed consultation of the United Nations Security Council on Monday, December 4, due to the resumption of hostilities and the ongoing dire humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.”
In related developments, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi emphasized the necessity of providing necessary protection for Palestinian civilians in Gaza and pursuing a suitable political solution to achieve a fair and comprehensive resolution of the Palestinian issue. This was stated during his meeting with British Prime Minister Rishi Sunak at the “COP 28” conference.
The Egyptian presidency in a statement said that Sisi and Sunak agreed on the critical nature of the current situation in the Gaza Strip, particularly given the unpredictable consequences of expanding the conflict on regional stability.
Additionally, Qatar expressed regret over the resumption of Israeli bombing in Gaza. The Qatari Ministry of Foreign Affairs, in a statement yesterday, confirmed that negotiations between the Palestinian and Israeli sides are ongoing to return to a state of truce. Qatar remains committed, along with its partners in mediation, to continue the efforts that led to the humanitarian truce and will spare no effort to return to calm. The ministry stressed that “resuming bombing in Gaza in the early hours after the truce complicates mediation efforts and exacerbates the humanitarian disaster in the sector,” and urged the international community to act quickly to stop the fighting.
The White House also affirmed yesterday that the United States is continuing efforts to extend the humanitarian truce in Gaza with the resumption of military activities in the region. A spokesperson for the National Security Council stated, “We continue to work with Israel, Egypt, and Qatar on efforts to extend the humanitarian truce in Gaza, and President Biden will remain engaged in the efforts to free the prisoners and extend the truce period in Gaza.”
German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock also stressed Germany’s commitment to do everything possible to extend the truce in Gaza. In a statement regarding developments in the Middle East, Baerbock said, “At this moment, we must do all we can to continue the truce, for the hostages in the tunnels for weeks, and for those suffering in Gaza in dire need of humanitarian aid.” Similarly, French Foreign Minister Catherine Colonna called for the extension of the humanitarian truce in Gaza, expressing deep sadness over its collapse and the return to fighting.
The Kremlin, in response to the resumption of Israeli attacks on Gaza, expressed a desire to see news of an extension of the humanitarian truce. Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov, commenting on Israel’s resumption of military operations in Gaza, referred to the humanitarian disaster in Gaza, asserting that extending the truce would have been more appropriate considering the magnitude of the humanitarian crisis and the incomplete process of releasing detainees.
