Security Council calls to hold those behind Israel-Palestinian violence accountable

The UN Security Council called for those responsible for violence in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to be held accountable in a vague press statement that appeared to have been watered down due to pushback from the United States.

“The members of the council expressed sorrow for the loss of civilian lives. They recalled the presidential statement adopted on 20th February 2023, including their call for full respect for international humanitarian law and the protection of the civilian population,” the panel said in remarks read aloud by UAE Ambassador to the UN Lana Nusseibah ahead of today’s monthly hearing on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

The February 20th presidential statement was issued largely to condemn a recent Israeli announcement that it would be legalizing nine illegal outposts and advancing plans for thousands of new settlement homes in the West Bank.

That presidential statement was largely symbolic, but it was the first time one had been issued regarding the Israeli-Palestinian conflict in nine years. At the same time, it lacked the binding nature of a resolution akin to the one adopted in 2016, which more forcefully condemned Israeli settlements.

Today’s “press elements” read by Nusseibah carry even less weight than a presidential statement and are not even recorded on the UN’s website. However, they still require the approval of all 15 Security Council members in order to be shared.

Accordingly, the statement was watered down from the original draft that was prepared on Friday following a private consultation that the Security Council held on Friday with the UN’s Mideast envoy Tor Wennesland, a diplomat for a country on the top panel tells The Times of Israel, noting that the US pushed back against language more critical of Israel.

The press elements read aloud by Nusseibah also stated that Security Council members “emphasize the obligations and commitments of Israeli and Palestinian authorities to fight and condemn terrorism in all its forms in a manner consistent with international law. They further emphasize the importance of holding accountable those responsible for such acts of violence.”

“The members of the Security Council encouraged additional steps to restore a durable calm and de-escalate tensions and called on all parties to refrain from unilateral actions that further inflame tensions. They further urged for restraint to reduce tension and prevent further escalation,” Nusseibah added.