By Evgenia Filimianova
A U.N. Security Council meeting in New York on Sept. 23 to discuss how to end the war in Gaza and resolve the Mideast conflict revealed a divide between most council members calling for a two-state solution and the United States, which rejects the proposals.
The session followed the U.N. General Assembly on Sept. 22, where France formally recognized a Palestinian state, joining the UK, Canada, Australia, and Portugal, which had announced recognition the day before.
Last week, the United States vetoed a resolution backed by the other 14 members of the Security Council calling for an immediate cease-fire and the release of all hostages.
Israel is not one of the 15 members of the Security Council and cannot vote on resolutions, but can attend meetings when invited. It was not present for the Security Council meeting on Tuesday because it coincided with Rosh Hashanah, the Jewish New Year. Ahead of the meeting, Israel’s ambassador to the U.N., Danny Danon, described it as “one-sided discussion” and “proof of the U.N.’s hypocrisy.”
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz said the body’s decision to convene the meeting, knowing it would exclude Israel, is “deeply regrettable.” He said that it reflected a tendency to prioritize “performance over serious efforts to actually advance peace.”
British Foreign Minister Yvette Cooper condemned Hamas’s Oct. 7, 2023, attack and called for the release of all hostages still being held in Gaza.
She reiterated the UK’s position that the region’s future “must be based on a two-state solution,” adding that peace, security, and reconstruction in Gaza depend on rejecting any role for Hamas and advancing a viable Palestinian state alongside Israel.
The French representative told the council that France condemns the Oct. 7, 2023, attack against Israel and the displacement of the population in Gaza, adding that Israel’s military offensive in Gaza City “only inflicts further suffering on the population.” Paris prioritizes the release of Israeli hostages and sees the path forward in a two-state solution, the representative said.
Russia urged diplomacy and international solidarity in supporting Palestinian statehood rather than forced resettlement or military solutions, while the Chinese representative, Fu Cong, joined his counterparts in calling for a two-state solution.
Arab Nations, Regional Voices
The ongoing Israel–Hamas war started after the Gaza-based terrorist group launched a surprise attack on Israel on Oct. 7, 2023.
During the Hamas attack, terrorists killed approximately 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and abducted more than 250. Currently, dozens of hostages remain in Gaza.
According to the Gaza Ministry of Health, which operates under the control of Hamas, more than 60,000 people have been killed in the conflict since the attack. That number does not distinguish between combatants and civilians and includes some deaths from natural causes. The Epoch Times cannot verify the figures.
Arab representatives condemned Israel’s military operations and demanded an immediate cease-fire.
Permanent Observer for the State of Palestine Riyad Mansour said, “Palestinians are not less beings. We are entitled to life and liberty and dignity.”
Egyptian diplomat and Arab League chief Ahmed Aboul Gheit called for the war to end. Turkey urged the council to act under Chapter VII powers to hold Israel accountable.
Qatar’s minister criticized Israel for an attack in Doha that killed a Qatari security officer, calling it a “direct attack on international law.” Egypt said Israel’s actions lacked any legal or moral basis, with Saudi Arabia and Kuwait warning of regional escalation.
European Union High Representative Kaja Kallas said that the weight of the world is behind a two-state solution, announcing 1.6 billion euros ($1.87 billion) in aid for Gaza over three years.
Germany and Italy have yet to officially recognize Palestinian statehood. Italian Prime Minister Giorgia Meloni said on Sept. 23 that recognition would depend on the release of hostages and Hamas’s exclusion from governance.
U.N. Criticized
Waltz said that despite more than 80 council meetings on Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023, the sessions had only emboldened the terrorist group Hamas and disrupted efforts to free hostages and end the war.
“No country, no country here, would willingly allow terrorists like this to threaten its people, Israel should not be expected to be any different and of course has the right to defend itself from groups that wish to do it harm,” he said.
His remarks come as Western allies, Arab states, and Russia intensify calls for a two-state solution, while the White House and Israel sharpen their criticism of the U.N.’s alleged efficiency and transparency in handling the conflict.
Israel has long criticised the U.N. for bias, rejecting a recent report that described its actions in Gaza as genocide. It has also disputed findings by the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification (IPC), which warned of famine in Gaza, saying that the U.N. ignored Israeli-supplied data and aid deliveries.
Israel has accused the U.N. Relief and Works Agency for Palestinian Refugees (UNRWA) of being compromised by Hamas, after reports linked several staff to the Oct. 7, 2023, attacks. Of 19 staff investigated, nine were dismissed, while in other cases, evidence was insufficient.
COGAT has also previously said that UNRWA is spreading false information on its aid delivery to Gaza.
Addressing the U.N. on Sept. 23, U.S. President Donald Trump criticized allies for recognizing a Palestinian state, saying that those seeking peace should unite in the aim of releasing Israeli hostages held by Hamas.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said there is “no Palestinian state” without negotiations with Israel. He criticized the U.N. as ineffective, saying it has failed to support the United States while relying on “empty words” instead of meaningful action.
“The UN is just a place where once a year a bunch of people meet and give speeches and write out a bunch of letters and statements, but not a lot of good and important action is happening. It has a lot of potential, but it’s not living up to it right now,” Rubio said.
