UN Security Council agrees to discuss execution of hostages

By AP 3 September 2024, 8:17 pm

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This combination of six undated photos shows hostages, from top left, Hersh Goldberg-Polin, Ori Danino, Eden Yerushalmi; from bottom left, Almog Sarusi, Alexander Lobanov, and Carmel Gat. They were murdered by their Hamas captors in Gaza in August 2024. (The Hostages Families Forum via AP)

The United Nations Security Council will discuss the conflict between Hamas and Israel and the crisis in the Palestinian territories on Wednesday in the wake of the summary execution of six hostages in Gaza. Even routine bureaucratic questions about the meeting are sparking disagreements between UN members.

Israel’s UN ambassador Danny Danon wrote on X early Tuesday that, “following my urgent request, the UN Security Council will finally convene on Wednesday for the first time since the October 7 massacre to hold an official discussion on the hostages.”

The UN ambassador from Malta, which served as Security Council president in April, wrote back to Danon on X that the council had adopted a November 15 resolution that called for the release of all the hostages during humanitarian pauses in the fighting between Israel and Hamas.

“At the time of adoption your representative stated in the Council that Israel will not implement the resolution,” she wrote. “Stop spreading misinformation.”

France, the United Kingdom and the United States backed Israel’s request for a Security Council meeting. Israel wrote in a press release Tuesday that “the Security Council must condemn the terrorist organization Hamas and demand the immediate release of the abductees.”

Algeria, another Security Council member, separately requested a meeting on the Middle East crisis that will be part of Wednesday’s meeting.