UNSC virtual public meeting on Palestine-Israel moved to Sunday with US agreement: diplomats

UNSC virtual public meeting on Palestine-Israel moved to Sunday with US agreement: diplomats
The United Nations Security Council meeting was originally scheduled for Friday, and was requested by Tunisia, Norway and China.
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The meeting was originally scheduled for Wednesday [NurPhoto/Getty]
The UN Security Council will hold a virtual public meeting on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on Sunday at 14:00 GMT, diplomats said on Thursday. 

The meeting, originally scheduled for Friday, was requested by Tunisia, Norway and China. The United States, which had blocked the Friday session and considered a meeting early next week, agreed to move it to Sunday, the same sources said.

In reporting concerning the originally planned Friday meeting, it was said there would be Israeli and Palestinian participation, diplomats told AFP Wednesday.

It is not clear if this is still the case.

Read more: Sheikh Jarrah and the ethnic cleansing of Palestinians in East Jerusalem

The Council has already held two closed-door videoconferences since Monday, with the United States - a close Israel ally - opposing adoption of a joint declaration, which it said would not "help de-escalate" the situation.

According to a diplomat speaking on condition of anonymity, the idea of a third meeting in less than a week was pushed by the Palestinians.

The goal of a new meeting is "to try to contribute to peace... and to have a Security Council able to express itself and to call for ceasefire," stressed another diplomat speaking anonymously.

Israel has refused to allow the Security Council to get involved in the conflict, a demand Washington has so far agreed to, diplomats told AFP.

According to several sources, 14 of the 15 members of the Council were in favour of adopting a joint declaration earlier Wednesday aimed at reducing tension.

However, the United States saw the Security Council meeting as a sufficient show of concern, calling a statement "counterproductive," diplomats told AFP on condition of anonymity.

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