UN Security Council meets on Israel but US blocks statement
- 3 years ago
UNITED NATIONS: The UN Security Council held another emergency meeting on Wednesday (May 12) on worsening hostilities between Israel and Palestinians, again without agreeing on a joint statement due to opposition from the United States, Israel's key ally, diplomats said.
According to several sources, 14 of the 15 members of the Council were in favour of adopting a joint declaration aimed at reducing tension.
However, the United States saw the Security Council meeting as a sufficient show of concern, diplomats told AFP on condition of anonymity, and did not think a statement would "help de-escalate" the situation.
"The United States has been actively engaged in diplomacy behind the scenes with all parties, and across the region, to seek to de-escalate the situation. At this stage, a Council statement would be counterproductive," said one source familiar with discussions, also speaking anonymously.
A new meeting - this time public - could be held within days, however.
"The Palestinians have asked for a public meeting," a diplomat told AFP on condition of anonymity.
The goal would be "to try to contribute to peace ... and to have a Security Council able to express itself and to call for ceasefire," another diplomat said, also on condition of anonymity.
Such a meeting could be organised as early as Friday by China, which currently presides over the Security Council.
In Washington, chief diplomat Antony Blinken announced that a US envoy would travel to the Middle East to seek to calm tensions between Israel and the Palestinians.
Source: CNA
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