The United Nations Security Council will hold its monthly open session on Wednesday to discuss the worsening situation in the Middle East, with the ongoing conflict in Gaza expected to dominate proceedings.
The meeting will open with a briefing from Ramiz Alakbarov, the recently appointed UN Deputy Special Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process and Resident Coordinator. Alakbarov, an experienced diplomat with a background in humanitarian operations, is expected to present the latest assessment of the conflict, humanitarian needs, and the broader implications for regional stability. Following his remarks, Council members will move to closed consultations.
The gathering comes amid intensifying Israeli military operations in Gaza, which have drawn widespread condemnation from international observers. According to humanitarian agencies, the escalation has led to soaring civilian casualties, large-scale displacement, and critical shortages of food, medicine, and fuel. Aid groups have warned of a deepening humanitarian catastrophe unless access routes for relief supplies are urgently secured.
Israel’s actions follow a surge in attacks from Iran-backed groups in Yemen and Lebanon, adding to fears of a broader regional conflagration. Earlier this week, Israel carried out strikes on Yemen’s capital Sana’a in response to a missile attack that authorities said involved cluster munitions. The spiralling violence has reinforced calls for the Security Council to take a stronger stance.
Diplomats say the focus of the Council’s discussion will be threefold: urging an immediate reduction of hostilities, addressing the humanitarian emergency in Gaza, and exploring ways to restart stalled peace efforts. While members are united in concern over the humanitarian toll, divisions persist on how to respond to Israel’s military strategy, with the United States traditionally resisting measures seen as punitive towards its ally.
Alakbarov’s role is expected to be central in shaping the UN’s next steps. Appointed in June, he has already emphasised the need for intensified diplomacy and stronger coordination of relief operations. His briefing on Wednesday will mark his first major appearance before the Council since assuming the post.
The Security Council has previously struggled to adopt unified positions on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, with repeated vetoes blocking resolutions. However, observers say the growing scale of the humanitarian crisis could increase pressure on members to find common ground.
As one senior UN official put it ahead of the meeting, the stakes are unusually high: “The world is watching to see if the Council can move beyond rhetoric to real action.”
