NEW YORK: The United Nations Security Council has convened an emergency meeting on Sunday to address the escalating violence in the Middle East, following a surprise attack by Hamas on Israel and subsequent Israeli military airstrikes in the Gaza Strip that martyred over 200 Palestinians.
The Security Council’s decision to convene was prompted by the large-scale surprise attack launched by the Palestinian group Hamas on Saturday and subsequent Israeli air strikes on the Gaza Strip. Thousands of rockets were fired from Gaza, reaching towns and cities as far as Tel Aviv and Jerusalem. Ground units were also deployed.
The conflict intensified as Israel retaliated with airstrikes, resulting in the martyrdom of at least 200 Palestinians. Gaza authorities reported a death toll of at least 200, while at least 70 people were reported killed in Israel, marking the deadliest escalation in the Israel-Palestinian conflict since May 2021.
Escalation in the Middle East
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas strongly affirmed the Palestinian people’s right to self-defense in the face of ongoing Israeli attacks. Speaking about the ‘Al-Aqsa Flood’ initiated by the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, from the besieged Gaza Strip into Israel, Abbas convened a meeting with senior civilian and security officials in Ramallah to address the unfolding developments related to the operation.
“Ensuring all necessary resources for the resilience of the Palestinian people against the atrocities committed by the Israeli occupation and settler groups is our priority,” President Abbas stated during the meeting, emphasizing the inherent right to self-defense for Palestinians amidst the terror inflicted by the occupation forces and settlers.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared, “We are at war,” as the military launched a series of strikes against targets affiliated with Hamas in the blockaded coastal enclave. The surprise attack, which commenced around 6:30 am (0330 GMT), overwhelmed Israel’s Iron Dome defense system, allowing some rockets to hit buildings in major cities, including Tel Aviv and Jerusalem.
The United Nations Security Council will gather at 3:00 pm local time (1900 GMT) on Sunday to discuss “the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question,” according to an official statement released on Saturday. The international community is closely monitoring the crisis, with hopes of diplomatic efforts to quell the escalating violence and facilitate dialogue between the conflicting parties.
