NEW YORK — The United Nations Security Council will convene an emergency session on Monday to address Israel’s plan to capture and occupy Gaza City, a move that has drawn sharp international criticism.
The operation, approved by Israel’s Security Cabinet on Friday, was described by UN Secretary-General António Guterres as a “dangerous escalation” in the 22-month conflict in the Gaza Strip.
While Israel formally “disengaged” from Gaza in 2005, it continues to control the territory’s borders, airspace, and access to goods. The UN maintains that Gaza, along with the West Bank and East Jerusalem, constitutes “occupied Palestinian territory.”
The meeting — requested by Denmark, France, Greece, the United Kingdom, and Slovenia — is scheduled for 10 a.m. (14:00 GMT) in New York. All Security Council members, except the United States, supported the call to convene. UN rapporteurs are expected to brief members on the potential humanitarian and political consequences of the plan.
Germany, the UK, Italy, New Zealand, and Australia jointly condemned the move, warning it would deepen Gaza’s humanitarian crisis, threaten the lives of captives, and risk the mass displacement of civilians.
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