Palestine has hailed the coordinated move by Canada, Australia and the United Kingdom to formally recognise it as an independent and sovereign state, calling the decision a step in line with international law and legitimacy resolutions.
In a statement shared on X, Palestine’s Mission to the United Nations said its Ministry of Foreign Affairs “welcomes and expresses gratitude” to the three countries for what it described as “courageous decisions” that affirm the Palestinian right to statehood.
The recognition was announced on Sunday in synchronised declarations from Ottawa, Canberra and London, marking a significant diplomatic shift aimed at reviving prospects for a two-state solution in the Middle East.
Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese and Foreign Minister Penny Wong, in a joint statement, said recognition was effective immediately and underscored Australia’s “longstanding commitment” to the two-state framework. “Australia recognises the legitimate and long-held aspirations of the people of Palestine to a state of their own,” they said, adding that the move was tied to international efforts to secure a Gaza ceasefire and the release of hostages taken during the October 7, 2023 attacks.
Palestine Authority pledges reforms
They stressed that the Palestinian Authority had renewed its recognition of Israel’s right to exist and pledged reforms in governance, elections, finance and education, while making clear that Hamas would have “no role in Palestine.”
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer echoed that position in a video message, saying Britain’s recognition was intended to “revive the hope of peace for Palestinians and Israelis” and to lay the ground for renewed dialogue.
Canadian Prime Minister Mark Carney, in a statement, sharply criticised Israel’s current policies, accusing its government of systematically blocking Palestinian statehood through settlement expansion and a prolonged military campaign in Gaza. He said Canada’s recognition was rooted in “principles of self-determination and fundamental human rights” and aligned with Ottawa’s longstanding foreign policy traditions.
“This recognition is not a panacea,” Carney cautioned, “but it is a necessary step to preserve the possibility of a two-state solution and to help build the promise of a peaceful future for both Israel and Palestine.”
The joint move by three major Western powers is expected to intensify international pressure on Israel, which has consistently opposed recognition of Palestinian statehood outside a negotiated settlement.
The New York Declaration is the outcome of an international conference held in July at UN Headquarters, organized by France and Saudi Arabia, which resumes later this month.
The General Assembly comprises all 193 UN Member States and 142 countries voted in favour of a resolution backing the document.
Israel voted against it, alongside nine other countries – Argentina, Hungary, Micronesia, Nauru, Palau, Papua New Guinea, Paraguay, Tonga and the United States – while 12 nations abstained.
‘Roadmap’ for the future
Prior to the vote, French Ambassador Jérôme Bonnafont recalled that the New York Declaration “lays out a single roadmap to deliver the two-State solution”.
This involves an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, release of all hostages held there, and the establishment of a Palestinian State that is both viable and sovereign.
The roadmap further calls for the disarmament of Hamas and its exclusion from governance in Gaza, normalization between Israel and the Arab countries, as well as collective security guarantees.
Speaking ahead of the vote, Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon said that “this one-sided Declaration will not be remembered as a step toward peace, only as another hollow gesture that weakens this Assembly’s credibility.”
He said that “Hamas is the biggest winner of any endorsement here today” and will declare it “the fruit of 7 October”.
The high-level international conference in July was held against the backdrop of the war in Gaza and deteriorating prospects for the two-State solution.
In remarks to the opening segment, UN Secretary-General António Guterres noted that “the central question for Middle East peace is implementation of the two-State solution, where two independent, sovereign, democratic States – Israel and Palestine – live side-by-side in peace and security.”
The Security Council is meeting to discuss rising concern in Israel and elsewhere over the dire conditions facing the hostages who remain in Gaza. It follows the release of recent videos by Hamas and other Palestinian militants showing emaciated captives, which the UN Secretary-General called “an unacceptable violation of human dignity.” A senior UN political affairs official reiterated the “unbearable” conditions faced by Palestinians across the war-ravaged enclave. Stay with UN News for live updates in coordination with UN Meetings Coverage. App users can follow the coverage here.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres on Monday warned that the Israeli-Palestinian conflict is “at a breaking point” and headed toward a one-State reality marked by perpetual occupation and inequality, unless the international community takes urgent, irreversible steps to implement the two-State solution.
Welcome to our continuing live coverage of the high-level international conference at UN Headquarters, aimed at advancing practical steps toward achieving a two-State solution to the Israel-Palestine conflict. Mandated by the General Assembly, the three-day meeting features plenaries, working groups and interventions from senior UN officials and Member States. UN News app users can follow here.
A world in which a sovereign State of Palestine and Israel co-exist peacefully seems a distant prospect, particularly in light of the 7 October 2023 attacks by Hamas on Israel, and the subsequent Israeli bombardment of Gaza. A high-level UN conference opening on 28 July will, nevertheless, serve as the latest UN-backed attempt to find a way to end the conflict.
But as starvation tightens its grip and “children are dying before our eyes,” UN officials and aid workers warn that the measures fall far short of the much-needed ceasefire and unfettered aid access that could help stem the spiralling humanitarian catastrophe.
“Welcome announcement of humanitarian pauses in Gaza to allow our aid through,” UN Emergency Relief Coordinator Tom Fletcher said on X. “In contact with our teams on the ground who will do all we can to reach as many starving people as we can in this window.”
Also reacting via the platform, UNICEF said: “This is an opportunity to begin to reverse this catastrophe and save lives.”
According to the agency, since the collapse of the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in March, children have been trapped in a nightmare and deprived of the basics to survive.
“The entire population of over two million people in Gaza is severely food insecure. One out of every three people has not eaten for days, and 80 per cent of all reported deaths by starvation are children,” the agency continued.
UNICEF emphasized that while it has never stopped delivering, “we can do a lot more if additional designated humanitarian corridors are created to facilitate the movement of our convoys – as well as commercial trucks, which are essential.”
‘A lifeline – if upheld and expanded’
The UN World Food Programme (WFP) also welcomed Israel’s announcement and its intent to open designated corridors for aid convoys in Gaza, “where hunger has reached catastrophic levels.”
With nearly half a million people facing famine-like conditions and a third of the population going days without food, WFP said in a press statement that the measures could offer a lifeline – if upheld and expanded.
Despite recent deliveries, including 350 truckloads last week, aid workers continue to face extreme risks and logistical hurdles. WFP said it has enough food stockpiled or en route to feed Gaza’s 2.1 million residents for three months, but without a ceasefire and consistent access, the scale of need far outpaces current efforts.
“An agreed ceasefire is the only way to reach everyone,” the agency stressed, calling for predictable and safe conditions to prevent further loss of life.
‘An entirely preventable crisis’
At the same time, the UN World Health Organization (WHO) warned that malnutrition in Gaza is spiralling out of control, with a sharp rise in deaths – most of them in July – marking what it calls a “dangerous trajectory.”
Of the 74 malnutrition-related deaths recorded this year, 63 occurred this month alone, including 24 children under five. Many died before reaching medical care, their bodies showing signs of severe wasting.
“This crisis is entirely preventable,” WHO said in a press release, citing the deliberate obstruction of aid for the mounting toll.
Children are bearing the brunt. Over 5,000 children have already been treated for malnutrition in July, many with the most life-threatening form. But Gaza’s four specialized treatment centers are overwhelmed, running low on fuel and supplies, and staffed by exhausted health workers.
“The health system is on the brink,” WHO warned, as disease spreads rapidly through communities with no clean water or sanitation.
The crisis is also devastating pregnant and breastfeeding women, over 40 per cent of whom are now severely malnourished. And it’s not just hunger that’s killing people—it’s the desperate search for food, according to WHO.
Since late May, more than 1,000 people have been killed and over 7,000 injured while trying to access aid. WHO is calling for an immediate ceasefire and a sustained surge of diverse, nutritious food and medical supplies.
“This flow must remain consistent and unhindered,” the agency said, urging protection for civilians, health workers, and humanitarian operations.
‘The world will judge this conference’
Looking ahead to the High-Level Conference on Palestine set to open on Monday at UN Headquarters in New York, the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights issued a strong call for immediate action to end Israel’s unlawful occupation and the ongoing devastation in Gaza.
“Countries that fail to use their leverage may be complicit in international crimes,” Volker Türk warned in a statement, urging governments to seize the moment for concrete measures that pressure Israel to halt the carnage and recommit to a two-state solution.
The UN rights chief described Gaza as a “dystopian landscape of deadly attacks and total destruction,” where children are starving and families are being killed in their search for food. The militarized aid distribution system, supported by the US and Israel, is failing to meet the scale of need.
“We can never forget that more than 300 of our own colleagues have been killed,” he added.
Moreover, in the occupied West Bank, violence by Israeli forces and settlers continues unabated, with homes demolished and water supplies cut off.
Mr. Türk reiterated condemnation of the 7 October attacks by Hamas but emphasized that the scale of suffering inflicted on Palestinians since then cannot be justified.
Calling for an immediate, permanent ceasefire, the release of hostages and detainees, and a massive surge in humanitarian aid, he concluded:
“The people of the world will judge this Conference on what it delivers.”
News reports estimate that the sectarian violence in the predominantly Druze city of Sweida, south of the capital, has killed more than 200.
Israel explained its attacks in the heart of the capital and on pro-government forces in Sweida as a defensive move in support of the Druze community, which has a significant presence within Israel and in the Israeli-occupied Golan.
The strikes on the defence ministry in Damascus also hit an area near the presidential palace, according to news reports and Syrian authorities.
Pledging to protect the Druze minority but also following up on its threat to attack any Syrian military operations taking place south of the capital, Israel said it would intensify strikes if government forces did not withdraw from the region, according to news reports.
Syrians ‘robbed’ of opportunity for peace
“The Secretary-General is alarmed by the continued escalation of violence in Sweida” and “unequivocally condemns all violence against civilians,” said UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric on Wednesday.
It was the second day in a row that the UN chief has intervened to highlight the increasing civilian toll and “reports of arbitrary killings and acts that fan the flames of sectarian tensions and rob the people of Syria of their opportunity for peace.”
Mr. Guterres further condemned Israel’s “escalatory airstrikes” on Sweida, Daraa and central Damascus, together with “reports of the IDF’s redeployment of forces in the Golan,” the highly-contested mountainous region along the border of the two countries.
The UN chief also reiterated the need to support “a credible, orderly and inclusive political transition in Syria in line with the key principles of Security Council Resolution 2254.”
Extending his condolences to the people of Syria, the Secretary-General reiterated his call for an immediate de-escalation of violence measures to facilitate humanitarian access.
Civilians in peril
Mr. Dujarric said UN humanitarians were warning that “the deadly hostilities continue to put civilians at risk, with ongoing reports of significant displacement and damage to critical infrastructure, including water, electricity and telecommunications networks,” Mr. Dujarric said.
Access to Sweida and the impacted areas remains severely constrained due to insecurity and road closures, and civilians are unable to reach shelters.
The UN Humanitarian Coordinator in Syria, Adam Abdelmoula, said that the UN and its humanitarian partners plan to assess the needs and provide essential assistance in Sweida as soon as conditions allow.
Mr. Dujarric underscored that medical services in Sweida and the neighbouring Daraa Governorate are overstretched and hospitals are almost at capacity.
While the World Health Organization (WHO) has dispatched emergency medical supplies to Daraa, deliveries to Sweida have yet to get through due to the fighting.
“Amid ongoing Israeli military operations, scores of people have reportedly been killed and injured, including while waiting for food,” the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs (OCHA) said.
“Over the weekend, there were numerous reports of attacks hitting homes, as well as schools hosting displaced people,” it added.
Catastrophic hunger
OCHA noted that amid the “heavy constraints” on bringing in supplies and carrying out humanitarian operations across Gaza, people are going hungry.
“The World Food Programme (WFP) reports that one in five people faces catastrophic hunger, and more than 90,000 women and children urgently require treatment for malnutrition,” it said.
WFP has about 130,000 metric tons of food positioned in the region, ready to serve people in Gaza if improved access is granted.
Call for access
OCHA reiterated calls on Israel to facilitate the access and entry of essential supplies into Gaza, through the available crossing points and corridors, to address people’s desperate needs. Fuel, in particular, is urgently needed.
“The UN and its partners call on the Israeli authorities, with utmost urgency, to allow the entry of fuel into Gaza. This is critically needed for life-saving operations – including hospitals, water and sanitation equipment, telecommunications, moving cargo from crossings, and operating community kitchens,” it said.
Displacement continues
Mass displacement continues in the war-torn enclave.
On Sunday, the Israeli military issued new evacuation orders for parts of Jabalya and Gaza City, impacting around 150,000 people. Those forced to flee join thousands already crowded into shelters lacking water, sanitation, and medical care. Shelter materials such as tents and timber have not entered Gaza in 17 weeks.
Most of the territory remains under displacement orders, OCHA said, and Israel, as the occupying power, has a legal obligation to protect civilians.
Search for the missing
Meanwhile, in war-torn Gaza, thousands of families remain trapped in a spiral of anxiety and despair as they search for their missing loved ones.
Among them is Anwar Hawas, a young woman in her twenties, searching desperately for Hadi, her 17-year-old autistic brother who has been missing for weeks.
“Every day I go out in the morning and return in the evening, hoping to find him,” she told UN News.
The Palestinian Central Bureau of Statistics reports that more than 11,000 individuals are missing in Gaza since the war started on 7 October 2023, the majority among them women and children.
“Gaza is the hungriest place on Earth,” OCHA spokesperson Jens Laerke told reporters in Geneva, stressing that it is the only defined territory in the world where the entire population is at risk of famine.
“The aid operation that we have ready to roll is being put in an operational straitjacket that makes it one of the most obstructed aid operations, not only in the world today, but in recent history,” he said.
Mr. Laerke explained that out of nearly 900 aid trucks that were approved to enter from the Israeli side since the reopening of the Kerem Shalom border crossing between Israel and the war-torn enclave ten days ago, less than 600 have been offloaded on the Gaza side.
An even lower number has been picked up for distribution in Gaza, he said, pointing to the “congested, insecure” routes which humanitarians are assigned to use by the Israeli authorities, as well as “significant delays” in the approvals.
Drip-feed of desperation
The OCHA spokesperson stressed that the limited number of truckloads coming in is a “trickle”.
“It is drip-feeding food into an area on the verge of catastrophic hunger,” he insisted.
Mr. Laerke added that many of the trucks were “swarmed by desperate people” on the way.
“It’s a survival reaction by desperate people who want to feed their families,” he said, adding that the aid on the trucks “had been paid for by the donors to go to those people”.
“I don’t blame them one second for taking the aid that essentially is already theirs, but it’s not distributed in a way we wanted,” he explained.
On Wednesday, hungry crowds overran a UN World Food Programme (WFP) warehouse in Deir Al-Balah in central Gaza, where limited stocks of wheat flour had been pre-positioned for use by the few bakeries able to resume operations.
The incident reportedly left two people dead. In a statement WFP reiterated warnings over “the risks imposed by limiting humanitarian aid to hungry people in desperate need of assistance”.
‘Paid for’ aid must be delivered
OCHA’s Mr. Laerke insisted once again on the fact that the UN and partners have “tens of thousands of pallets of food and other life-saving assistance” ready to enter Gaza to relieve the suffering.
“The aid has been paid for by the world’s donors, who expect us on their behalf to deliver it. It is cleared for customs, it is approved and it’s ready to move,” he said.
A new US and Israeli-backed aid distribution scheme run by a private entity called the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation started operating independently of the UN this week in the Strip.
On Tuesday at least 47 Palestinians were reportedly shot and injured trying to collect aid from its distribution facility in the south, according to information received by UN human rights office, OHCHR.
Aid scheme to bypass UN ‘not working’
In reaction to the incident OCHA head in the Occupied Palestinian Territory Jonathan Whittall warned on Wednesday that the US-Israeli distribution scheme was “engineered scarcity: four distribution hubs located in central and southern Gaza, secured by private US security contractors, where those Palestinians who can reach them will receive rations.”
Mr. Laerke told reporters that this “alternative modality” is “not working” as it does not meet people’s needs.
He added that it constitutes a “violation of basic principle of impartiality”, and that criteria for getting aid have to be based on need, and not the ability to walk for kilometres to a distribution point.
“It creates chaos, and it creates a situation that is extremely dangerous for people,” Mr. Laerke said. “Even if you enter one of those distribution points, pick up a package, the minute you’re out of it… Are you a target for looters again? Yes, you are.”
The OCHA spokesperson reiterated calls by the humanitarian community for the reopening of all crossing points into Gaza, to enable delivery from all corridors, including from Jordan and Egypt.
“We need to be able to deliver food directly to families where they are,” as has been the case in the past, he said.
Highlighting the challenges for humanitarian access, Mr. Laerke said that over 80 per cent of the Gaza Strip is currently within Israeli militarized zones or under displacement orders. Since the ceasefire between Israel and Hamas collapsed on 18 March nearly 635,000 people in the enclave have been displaced yet again.
“Since the collapse of the ceasefire in March, civilians have constantly come under fire, confined to ever-shrinking spaces, and deprived of lifesaving relief,” she said.
“Israel must halt its devastating strikes on civilian life and infrastructure.”
Risk of famine
With families cut off from aid for weeks on end, and only a fraction of the needed relief now entering the enclave, starvation looms.
“The entire population of Gaza is facing the risk of famine,” Ms. Kaag warned, adding that the limited aid permitted into the enclave is “comparable to a lifeboat after the ship has sunk.”
“Ms. Kaag emphasized that humanitarian aid must not depend on political negotiations, noting that the UN aid operation is prepared to deliver assistance immediately, in accordance with international law.
“Aid cannot be negotiable,” she said.
Full aid access imperative
Ms. Kaag called on Israel to halt its devastating strikes and allow full access for humanitarian aid and commercial goods.
At the same time, she stressed that Israel has the right to live in peace and security.
“This was undeniably shaken by the horrific terror attacks and taking of hostages on 7 October by Hamas and other Palestinian armed groups,” she said, reiterating the call on Hamas and other armed groups to stop rocket attacks against Israel and release all hostages unconditionally.
Sigrid Kaag, UN Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Ad Interim, briefs the Security Council on the situation in the Middle East.
Two-State solution
Ms. Kaag emphasised that durable security “cannot be achieved solely through force”, it must be built on mutual recognition, justice, and rights for all.
“A better path exists that resolves this conflict, de-escalates regional tensions and achieves a shared vision for peace,” she said.
The upcoming high-level international conference in June, co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia, presents a critical opportunity to relaunch a path toward ending the occupation and realising the two-State solution based on international law, UN resolutions and previous agreements.
“It must not be another rhetorical exercise,” she said.
“We need to pivot ourselves from declarations to decisions. We need to implement rather than adopt new texts.”
‘See you in heaven’
In her briefing, Ms. Kaag described the deep despair of civilians in Gaza, where families now bid farewell not with a “goodbye, see you tomorrow”, but with the words “see you in heaven.”
“Death is their companion. It’s not life, it’s not hope,” she continued, stressing that Gazans deserve more than survival – they deserve a future.
Urging bold political action, she called for adherence to international law, and support for a reformed Palestinian Government that can govern both Gaza and the West Bank.
“Statehood is a right, not a reward,” Ms. Kaag said.
“Let us not be remembered as the generation that let the two-State solution disappear. Let us be the generation that chose courage over caution, justice over inertia and peace over politics. Let us be part of a generation that can make this happen.”
Special Coordinator a.i. Kaag’s briefing to the Security Council.
US ‘fully stands’ with Israel
Speaking for the United States, John Kelley, Political Coordinator at the US Mission to the UN, said that his country has been working tirelessly to free the hostages and bring the war to an end – “one that Hamas brutally started”.
“Hamas continues to reject proposals from the US, Qatar and Egypt that would release the 58 remaining hostages, who have now been cruelly held for 600 days, and bring calm to Gaza,” he said.
“Every day Hamas demonstrates its lack of regard for the Palestinians it claims to represent, all while it violently suppresses protests against its barbaric rule and diverts aid meant for civilians.”
He underscored that the US “fully stands” behind Israel and its right to defend itself, stating that to move forward, “Hamas must be defeated.”
“As Secretary [Marco] Rubio has said – if an ember survives, it will spark again into a fire. There can no peaceful and prosperous Gaza as long as Hamas governs it by force,” Mr. Kelley said.
The horrors must end: Algeria
Algerian Ambassador Amar Bendjama described the deadly impact of the ongoing war in Gaza on children, citing the specific case of the nine children of a Gazan doctor, all killed in an airstrike, while her sole remaining child and husband remain in a critical condition.
“They were not members of a centre for command and control of Hamas,” he said, adding, “the Israeli army killed them, they killed them deliberately.”
He noted that today, no one in Gaza is spared – and three decades after the optimism surrounding the Oslo peace accords between Israel and Palestinian leadership, “the dream of a Palestinian state is vanishing under the boots of the Israeli occupation and the silence of the international community.”
Stating that the “time for indecision” was over, he called for action – “not words of condemnation”.
“These horrors must end,” he said.
Gaza needs a ceasefire, not more bloodshed: United Kingdom
James Kariuki, Deputy Permanent Representative of the UK, said his country has “always supported” Israel’s right to defend itself but cautioned that it “strongly opposes” Israel’s escalating military action in Gaza, “which is wholly disproportionate.”
“An immediate ceasefire, not more bloodshed is the way to secure the release of the hostages and stop the end cycle of violence,” he said.
The level of human suffering in Gaza is intolerable, he continued, stating that the United Nations had warned of the risks of the Israeli Government’s aid delivery plan.
“In Rafah yesterday, we saw this warning become a reality. The Gaza Humanitarian Foundation lost control of its distribution centre, with multiple casualties reported and great distress for those desperately seeking aid,” he said.
“In contrast, the UN has a clear plan to deliver lifesaving aid at scale. It contains robust mitigations against aid diversion. Brave humanitarians stand ready to do their jobs,” he added. “Let aid in and enable the UN to operate now.”
A wide view of the UN Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East.
Images of hungry, desperate people ‘gut-wrenching’: Palestine
Riyad Mansour, Permanent Observer of the State of Palestine, said the images of hungry and desperate people trying to get aid supplies in are “gut-wrenching” and “heart breaking.”
“These are people, human beings, deprived of water, food, medicine for so long and hanging to life by a thread,” he said, adding that this is “outraging the Palestinian people – all of them, including me.”
“It is outrageous to see this situation, and still you are not acting,” he said, pointing to Security Council members: “how much more do you want?”
He added that the UN plan for aid, with its proven capacity on the ground remains the only viable plan to deliver relief supplies and it has all necessary safeguards – “if that is the true concern.”
“But the true concern is how to get rid of the Palestinians by killing them, starving them, and destroying Gaza so they have no choice but to leave if they want to live,” Mr. Mansour said.
Israel is facilitating aid into Gaza: Ambassador
Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon said that while the UN “spreads panic and makes declarations detached from reality, the State of Israel is steadily facilitating the entry of aid into Gaza.”
This, he said, is being done via two methods.
“First, under the old framework, via trucks and, second, under the new distribution mechanism developed in coordination with the US and key international partners,” he continued, noting that both mechanisms are “working simultaneously” and will continue to do so for the immediate future.
“We are not only allowing aid in, but we are ensuring that it reaches the people who need it most,” he added.
Aid is already being distributed in Gaza, Ambassador Danon said, despite efforts by Hamas to obstruct people from reaching it by setting up checkpoints and roadblocks.
“Because Hamas knows if it loses control over the aid, it loses control over the people of Gaza,” he said.
The preparatory session brought together UN Member States to align expectations and finalise arrangements for eight thematic roundtables that will help shape the conference’s outcome.
“The horrors we have witnessed in Gaza for over nineteen months should spur us to urgent action to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The devastating cycles of death, destruction, and displacement cannot be allowed to continue,” he said.
“This conflict cannot be resolved through permanent war, nor through endless occupation or annexation. It will only end when Israelis and Palestinians can live side by side in their own sovereign, independent States, in peace, security, and dignity,” he added.
General Assembly President Yang addresses the preparatory meeting.
Concrete outcomes needed
Co-chairs France and Saudi Arabia emphasised the need for the June conference to go beyond reaffirming principles and achieve concrete results on the ground.
“We must urgently move from words to deeds. We must move from ending the war in Gaza to ending the conflict itself,” said Anne-Claire Legendre, Middle East and North Africa advisor to French President Emmanuel Macron.
“Faced with the facts on the ground, the prospects of a Palestinian State must be maintained. Irreversible steps and concrete measures for the implementation thereof are necessary.”
Alongside, she reiterated calls for a lasting ceasefire, an immediate influx of humanitarian aid and the release of hostages.
Historic moment
Manal bint Hassan Radwan, head of the Saudi Arabian negotiating team, called the moment “historic,” stating that the preparatory meeting must “chart a course for action, not reflection.”
“Civilians continue to pay the price of a war that must end immediately. The escalation in the West Bank is equally alarming. Despair grows deeper by the day,” she said.
“This is precisely why we must speak not only of ending the war, but of ending a conflict that has lasted nearly eight decades,” she continued, adding efforts to end fighting and secure release of hostages and detainees must be “anchored in a credible and irreversible political plan that addresses the root cause of the conflict and offers a real path to peace, dignity and mutual security.”
As outlined in General Assembly resolution 79/81, the Conference will produce an action-oriented outcome document entitled “Peaceful settlement of the question of Palestine and implementation of the two-State solution”.
The aim is to chart a clear and irreversible pathway toward a comprehensive, just, and lasting peace in accordance with UN resolutions.
About the Conference
The conference will include a plenary session with statements from the President of the General Assembly, the UN Secretary-General, and the co-chairs, followed by interventions from Member States and observers.
According to a concept note from the co-chairs, the conference will also feature eight thematic roundtables, each focused on critical dimensions of the two-State solution.
The working groups include security arrangements for both Israelis and Palestinians, the economic viability of a Palestinian State, and humanitarian action and reconstruction.
Addressing reporters outside the Security Council, António Guterres called once again for a permanent ceasefire to end the fighting between Israeli forces and Hamas militants, the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages and full humanitarian access so aid can flow in following nearly 80 days of Israeli blockade.
‘Cruellest phase’
He said Palestinians in the enclave are now “enduring what may be the cruellest phase of this cruel conflict,” with families being “starved and denied the very basics,” as Israel intensifies its offensive and promotes a new privatised aid distribution network reportedly due to begin on Sunday which would bypass the UN and partner organizations’ aid operation.
Israel has clear obligations under international humanitarian law to treat civilians in Gaza humanely, Mr. Guterres added, and “must not forcibly transport, deport or displace the civilian population of an occupied territory.”
He noted that despite authorising a “trickle of aid” to enter in recent days, supplies from only 115 out of 400 trucks have been cleared for collection and distribution – while nothing has reached the besieged north.
UN ‘working round the clock’
“We are working around the clock to get whatever aid we can to people in need,” the UN chief said, but “needs are massive – and the obstacles are staggering.”
Israel is causing unnecessary delays, imposing quotas on distribution and barring essentials such as fuel, shelter, cooking gas, and water purification supplies – are prohibited.
Furthermore, the lives of UN and other humanitarian staffers are being placed at risk if they continue to be prevented from distributing food parcels and flour to those in desperate need, the UN chief continued.
He said absent rapid, reliable, safe and sustained aid access, more Gazans will die – with profound long-term consequences.
Without making direct reference to the US-backed Israeli plan to create new distribution sites overseen by private contractors in coordination with the military, Mr. Guterres said the UN had been clear: “We will not take part in any scheme that fails to respect international law and the humanitarian principles of humanity, impartiality, independence and neutrality.”
5-point aid plan
Instead, he said the UN and partners had “a detailed, principled, operationally-sound 5-stage plan” – supported by UN Member States.
Ensure the delivery of aid to Gaza
Inspect and scan aid at crossing points
Transport aid from crossing points to humanitarian facilities
Prepare aid for onward distribution
And transport aid to people in need
“We have the personnel, the distribution networks, the systems and community relationships in place to act,” said the UN chief. “The supplies – 160,000 pallets, enough to fill nearly 9,000 trucks – are waiting.
“This is my appeal for life-saving aid for the long-suffering people of Gaza: Let’s do it right. And let’s do it right away.”
“We have been approached by Israeli authorities to resume limited aid delivery, and we are in discussions with them now on how this would take place given the conditions on the ground,”OCHA said in a statement.
It is now 11 weeks since the Israeli authorities closed off all food, fuel and medicines to Gaza.
The decision has been widely condemned by the international community – including the UN Secretary-General – who on Sunday insisted that Israel’s “siege and starvation” of Gazans “makes a mockery of international law”.
According to news reports the Israel Government has taken the decision to resume “basic” levels of aid delivery to ensure against starvation, on the recommendation of the Israeli Defense Forces and in support of a renewed Gaza offensive.
“The situation for Palestinians in Gaza is beyond description, beyond atrocious and beyond inhumane,” António Guterres wrote online. “The blockade against humanitarian aid must end immediately.”
The aid blockade has created life-threatening hunger across Gaza – something that humanitarians have pointed out did not exist before the war started on 7 October 2023, sparked by Hamas-led terror attacks on Israel.
Basic principles
“I emphasize that the United Nations will not participate in any operation that does not adhere to international law and humanitarian principles of humanity, impartiality, independence and neutrality,” Mr. Guterres insisted, before underlining his “full support” for UNRWA, the largest aid agency in Gaza.
In an update on Monday, UNRWA reported that more than nine in 10 homes in Gaza have been damaged or destroyed. On Sunday the agency’s Commissioner-General, Philippe Lazzarini announced that more than 300 staff have been killed in the Gaza war. “The vast majority of staff were killed by the Israeli army with their children and loved ones: whole families wiped out,” he noted.
“Several were killed in the line of duty while serving their communities. Those killed were mostly UN health workers and teachers, supporting their communities.”
Ahead of unconfirmed reports on Monday that 20 aid trucks were expected to enter Gaza on Monday, UN agencies OCHA and the World Health Organization (WHO) warned that hungry and sick Gazans continue to live in terror because of ongoing bombardment.
In a new call to lift the blockade, both agencies rejected allegations of aid diversion to Hamas and highlighted the humanitarian nature of the goods being denied entry into Gaza, everything from children’s shoes to eggs, pasta, baby formula and tents.
“How much war can you wage with this?”asked OCHA spokesperson Jens Laerke.
Briefing Member States in Geneva, WHO Director-General Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus warned on Monday that the risk of famine “is increasing” as aid continues to be withheld deliberately by Israel.
Health system destroyed
The enclave’s health system is “already on its knees”, he insisted.
“Two million people are starving, while 116 000 tonnes of food is blocked at the border just minutes away,” he told the World Health Assembly.
In response to a resurgence of polio in Gaza, WHO negotiated a humanitarian pause for a vaccination campaign that reached more than 560,000 children, Tedros continued.
“We stopped polio, but the people of Gaza continue to face multiple other threats,” he said. “People are dying from preventable diseases as medicines wait at the border, while attacks on hospitals deny people care, and deter them from seeking it.”
At the same time, the WHO chief called out “increasing hostilities, evacuation orders, [the] shrinking humanitarian space and the aid blockade [that] are driving an influx of casualties”.
Tedros’s comments come as UN aid teams who remain committed to helping all Gazans confirmed intensifying bombing across the devastated Strip. “It has increased, of course,” said one worker, who wished to remain anonymous. They added that in the last 72 hours around 63,000 people have been uprooted.
UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric said on Friday that the Secretary-General “has been monitoring with alarm the reports of violence in the suburbs of Damascus and in the south of Syria, including reports of civilian casualties and assassination of local administration figures.”
More than 100 people have reportedly been killed in recent days during clashes with sectarian overtones, including in Suweyda governorate.
Call for restraint
Mr. Dujarric said the Secretary-General condemns all violence against civilians, including acts which could risk inflaming sectarian tensions.
In this context, the UN chief also condemned Israel’s violation of Syria’s sovereignty, including the latest airstrike near the presidential palace in Damascus.
“It is essential that these attacks stop and that Israel respect Syria’s sovereignty, unity, territorial integrity, and independence,” the Spokesperson added.
The Secretary-General unequivocally called on all concerned to cease all hostilities, exercise utmost restraint and avoid further escalation.
He was encouraged by intra-Syrian efforts to de-escalate the violence and maintain security and stability.
Mr. Guterres took note of the statement by Syria’s interim President Ahmed al-Sharaa, which prioritizes “dialogue and cooperation within the framework of national unity.” He also appealed to the interim authorities to transparently and openly investigate all violations.
The Commission of Inquiry on Syria said the fighting, combined with ongoing Israeli airstrikes, raises the risk of further fragmentation and harm to civilians.
Members noted that hate speech and incitement on social media are fuelling tensions, urging all sides to stop hostilities and commit to dialogue.
While a local agreement has reportedly been reached between Damascus authorities and community leaders, the interim government remains responsible for protecting civilians.
The Commission also called for credible investigations into alleged abuses.
“Impunity for grave violations has in the past been a consistent driver of Syria’s conflict and must not be allowed to persist,” it said.
“Only by upholding the rule of law and ensuring justice, accountability and reparations for victims and their families can Syria begin to rebuild trust across its fractured communities.”
In a powerful statement on Thursday, Tom Fletcher, the UN Emergency Relief Coordinator, condemned Israel’s decision to halt humanitarian assistance as a “cruel collective punishment” of the Palestinian population.
“Two months ago, the Israeli authorities took a deliberate decision to block all aid to Gaza and halt our efforts to save survivors of their military offensive,” said Mr Fletcher. “They have been bracingly honest that this policy is to pressurise Hamas.”
‘Blocking aid kills’
While reaffirming the urgent need for the release of hostages taken by Hamas on 7 October 2023 – who “should never have been taken from their families,” – the UN relief chief stressed that “international law is unequivocal: As the occupying power, Israel must allow humanitarian support in.”
“Aid, and the civilian lives it saves, should never be a bargaining chip,” he added. “Blocking aid kills.”
Mr Fletcher warned that the aid blockade “starves civilians”, denies them basic medical services, and “strips them of dignity and hope.”
He underscored the neutrality and impartiality of humanitarian efforts, adding: “We believe that all civilians are equally worthy of protection. We remain ready to save as many lives as we can, despite the risks.”
Let us save lives
However, the latest delivery mechanism proposed by Israel, he said, “does not meet the minimum bar for principled humanitarian support.”
“To the Israeli authorities, and those who can still reason with them, we say again: lift this brutal blockade. Let humanitarians save lives,” he pleaded.
Addressing civilians in Gaza, Mr Fletcher said: “No apology can suffice… But I am truly sorry that we are unable to move the international community to prevent this injustice. We won’t give up.”
Indian markets were hit hard on Thursday as escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East led to a sharp decline in equity indices, wiping out Rs 10 lakh crore in market capitalization.
The benchmark BSE Sensex nosedived 1,769 points (2.10%), closing at 82,497, while the Nifty 50 plunged 546 points (2.12%) to 25,250. This broad sell-off led to significant losses across sectors, with nearly 2,864 stocks ending in the red compared to just 1,120 gaining stocks.
The fallout from the day’s trading session saw the combined market value of all listed companies on the Bombay Stock Exchange (BSE) plummet by Rs 10 lakh crore, dropping to a total of Rs 465 lakh crore.
Broader Market Impact
The rout was not limited to blue-chip stocks, as midcap and smallcap segments also suffered steep losses. The Nifty Midcap 100 index fell by 1,333 points (2.21%) to 59,024, while the Nifty Smallcap index dropped 378 points (1.96%) to 18,952, indicating widespread bearish sentiment.
Sector-wise, almost all major NSE indices were deeply in the red, with Auto, Financial Services, IT, FMCG, Realty, Energy, Private Banks, and Infrastructure taking the hardest hits.
Top losers on the Sensex included L&T, Axis Bank, Tata Motors, Reliance, Maruti Suzuki, Bajaj Finance, Wipro, and Kotak Mahindra Bank. JSW Steel was the only stock to buck the trend, ending in the green.
Geopolitical Tensions and Domestic Factors
According to market analysts, the sharp downturn was primarily driven by the escalating conflict in the Middle East, particularly following Iran’s ballistic missile attacks on Israel. Fears of an intensifying conflict could potentially push up global oil prices, raising inflationary concerns.
Additionally, domestic factors played a role. New SEBI regulations in the Futures and Options (F&O) segment created uncertainty, leading to concerns over reduced trading volumes and liquidity. With foreign institutional investors (FIIs) also shifting their focus to more attractively valued markets such as China, the pressure on Indian stocks increased.
On October 1, FIIs sold equities worth Rs 5,579 crore, while domestic institutional investors (DIIs) purchased Rs 4,609 crore worth of equities, offering some support to the market.
Future Scenario
Market experts warn of further volatility in the coming days. The escalating Middle East conflict could cause oil prices to rise further, adding to inflationary pressures that could weigh on the Indian economy. At the same time, domestic factors, including SEBI regulations and foreign fund outflows, will continue to impact market sentiment.
With global geopolitical and economic uncertainties mounting, investors are bracing for a turbulent period in the markets.
Iran fired a salvo of ballistic missiles at Israel on Tuesday in retaliation for Israel’s campaign against Tehran’s Hezbollah allies in Lebanon, reports Reuters. Soon, social media platforms are abuzz with videos covering the skies lighted with an endless rows of missiles, catching the attention of the whole world.
Alarms sounded across Israel and explosions could be heard in Jerusalem and the Jordan River valley after Israelis piled into bomb shelters.
Iran’s Revolutionary Guards said Iran had launched tens of missiles at Israel, and that if Israel retaliated Tehran’s response would be “more crushing and ruinous”.
Here’s a round-up of some tweets on Iran’s attack on Israel live:
The supreme terrorist leader of the Islamic Regime in Iran, Ali Khamenei, will not make it to the end of the week. Mark my words. pic.twitter.com/XdHngQWdyb
Iran, as warned earlier, fired missiles at Israel at 10 PM (IST) in response Israel’s ground offensive in Lebanon to target Hezbollah and days after the militant outfit’s commander Hassan Nasrallah and a top official from Iran’s Islamic Revolutionary Guard were killed in airstrikes on Beirut.
The Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said at 10.08 pm IST that the missiles were fired a “short while ago”. The launch was confirmed by Iran’s official IRNA news agency, which said the country had launched “a missile attack on Tel Aviv” and confirmed by news agency Reuters quoting Israeli media as saying that as many as 100 missiles had been launched.
Videos showed debris from missiles intercepted by Israel’s famed Iron Dome and Arrow defence systems raining down on Tel Aviv. The Israeli defence forces also confirmed that blasts had been heard in “Jerusalem and elsewhere”. There have been no reports of any casualties so far.
“Iran’s attack is continuing. You are requested to remain in a protected space until further notice. The explosions you are hearing are from interceptions or fallen projectiles,” the IDF said in a statement.
However, the Israeli Defense Forces (IDF) have reaffirmed their high state of preparedness and readiness to respond to any attacks from Iran. In response to the escalating situation, Israel has launched a ground offensive in Lebanon, targeting the Iran-backed militia Hezbollah. This move is seen as a direct response to the killing of Hezbollah’s leader, Hassan Nasrallah, in an Israeli air strike last week.
US Backs Israel’s Defensive Measures
The United States and other Western allies have previously stepped in to help defend Israel against a combined Iranian missile and drone attack in April. This attack was launched by Tehran in retaliation for an Israeli strike on the Iranian consulate in Damascus. The US official added, “A direct military attack from Iran against Israel will carry severe consequences for Iran.”
Despite the escalating tensions, Iran has stated that it would not deploy soldiers to confront Israel. However, Iran’s foreign ministry spokesman, Nasser Kanani, has said that local groups possess the capability to defend themselves against aggression. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has issued a stark warning to Iran, stating, “There is nowhere in the Middle East, Israel cannot reach.” He also expressed hope for a future when Iran is finally free, predicting that this would come a lot sooner than people think.
The United States has cautiously backed Israel’s move to dismantle Hezbollah’s ability to attack northern Israel, even as President Joe Biden has called for a ceasefire. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said that Washington was tracking events in the Middle East very closely. He said, “The United States is committed to Israel’s defense.”
US Boosts Military Presence in the Middle East
In a show of support, the US has boosted its forces in the Middle East by a few thousand troops, bringing in new units while extending others that are already there. The Pentagon has also announced the deployment of more fighter jets to the region. US Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin has offered support to his Israeli counterpart Yoav Gallant for dismantling attack infrastructure belonging to Hezbollah along the border with Lebanon.
The escalating conflict has raised fears of a wider regional conflict that the United States and other world powers have said they want to avoid in the Middle East. The situation remains complex and can change quickly depending on the political situation and recent events.
2006 Lebanon War
The current situation bears a striking resemblance to the 2006 Lebanon War, also known as the July War, which was a 34-day military conflict in Lebanon, Northern Israel, and the Golan Heights. The principal parties were Hezbollah paramilitary forces and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF).
The conflict started on 12 July 2006 and continued until a United Nations-brokered ceasefire went into effect in the morning on 14 August 2006, though it formally ended on 8 September 2006 when Israel lifted its naval blockade of Lebanon.
As the world watches with bated breath, the hope is for a swift resolution to the escalating tensions, with diplomatic efforts being made to ensure civilian safety on both sides of the border. The international community is eager to prevent a full-blown conflict that could have devastating consequences for the region and beyond in the form of a Third World War.
The unfolding events serve as a stark reminder of the fragile peace in the Middle East with potential to upset the global order.
The Security Council, after more than five months of conflict, issued a historic demand for an immediate ceasefire on Monday, marking a significant shift in approach. The United States, typically an ally of Israel, abstained from the vote, allowing the resolution to pass with unusual unanimity among the other 14 members.
Notably, the latest resolution does not directly tie the ceasefire to ongoing negotiations led by Qatar, the US, and Egypt, which aim to secure the release of hostages held by Hamas. Israel has criticized previous resolutions for failing to condemn Hamas explicitly.
This shift in diplomatic efforts reflects the urgent need to address the humanitarian crisis and prevent further escalation of violence in the region.
This resolution, supported by diverse nations including Algeria, Slovenia, and Switzerland, emphasizes the need for a ceasefire during the ongoing Islamic holy month of Ramadan. It calls for a truce to pave the way for a lasting peace and urges the release of hostages seized by Hamas and other militants on October 7.
However, Russia objected to the removal of the term “permanent” ceasefire, leading to a failed vote on that amendment. This development underscores the complex dynamics within the Security Council.
The United States’ evolving stance was evident in its recent proposal for an “immediate and sustained ceasefire,” indicating growing frustration with Israel’s military actions. Previous attempts by the US to broker a ceasefire were blocked, highlighting the delicate balance between supporting Israel and addressing concerns about civilian casualties.
