At the request of Russia and the United Arab Emirates, the United Nations Security Council is due to hold an emergency meeting later in the day following deadly shelling in the Gaza Strip, and is expected to discuss a draft resolution drawn up by Brazil as part of the effort to adopt a common position on the Israel/Hamas war.
“Russia and the United Arab Emirates have requested an urgent public meeting of the United Nations Security Council on the morning of October 18 due to the strike on a hospital in Gaza,” Moscow’s deputy UN ambassador Dmitry Polyansky said via Telegram.
This meeting will be held today at 17:00 (Cyprus time), according to the UN.
Mr. Polianski said that he would suggest that a strong condemnation of the attack on the hospital be added to the text.
“We tabled an amendment regarding the condemnation of the strikes in Gaza, the condemnation of the strike at the Al Ahli Al Arabi hospital,” Mr. Polianski said.
With US President Joe Biden on a flight to Israel, diplomatic sources said they expected a vote on the draft resolution drawn up by Brazil, which holds the presidency of the top UN body in October, during the meeting. .
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Amid intense diplomatic contacts over the Israel/Hamas war, the SA rejected last Monday night a draft resolution drawn up by Russia that called for an immediate declaration of a “ceasefire for humanitarian reasons” and is now expected to rule on the second text.
The Russian text called for an “immediate, lasting and fully respected humanitarian ceasefire”, condemned “violence and hostilities against civilians and all acts of terrorism”, while calling for “unimpeded” humanitarian aid distribution to the Gaza Strip, which remains under siege, and the release of all hostages. But without containing an explicit condemnation of Hamas’s attacks on Israel, something unacceptable for the US, Britain and France.
The Brazilian draft resolution, on the other hand, refers specifically to the “heinous terrorist attacks by Hamas”.
