UN Security Council to meet on Sunday to discuss Palestine situation
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United Nations: Amidst rising tension in the Israeli-Palestine situation, with Israeli violence continuing in Jerusalem, and Hamas rockets retaliating, the UN Security Council has decided to hold an open meeting on Sunday to discuss the escalation.
According to a tweet by Zhang Jun, China's Permanent Representative to the UN, the meeting will be held at 10 a.m. on Sunday, reports Xinhua news agency.
"China is deeply concerned about the escalation of tensions in the Occupied Palestinian Territory. UNSC should act now and send a strong message. Regret a Friday meeting was blocked by one member," said the tweet.
A meeting on Friday was blocked by the US, as reported by diplomats.
The Norwegian Mission to the UN tweeted that Sunday's meeting was proposed by Norway, Tunisia and China.
The rotating presidency of the Security Council is held by China in the month of May. The Security Council has so far held two rounds of closed-door consultations on the issue.
In the confrontation so far, triggered by Israel's attempt to evict Palestinian residents in Sheikh Jarrah neighbourhood in east Jerusalem and moves to annex Palestinian areas, Israeli troops have struck 750 different targets and in retaliation, Hamas have fired hundreds of rockets at northern, central and southern Israeli towns.
The tension between Israel and Gaza militants threatens to further escalate as the Israeli government is reportedly drafting a plan for a possible large-scale ground offensive in Gaza, similar to the one waged in 2014.