UNGA to Discuss Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza

The UN General Assembly (UNGA) is set to convene on Tuesday to discuss the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza. 

This comes after the United States vetoed a Security Council resolution for a ceasefire last week. A special meeting has been called by the representatives of Egypt and Mauritania. 

The meeting will take place on Tuesday afternoon and will be held by the respective representatives, "in their respective capacities as Chair of the Arab Group and Chair of the Organization for Islamic Cooperation," according to a spokesperson for the Assembly president.

The General Assembly, whose resolutions are non-binding, may vote on a text for a ceasefire resolution during the meeting. A draft of the text, seen by AFP, closely follows the language of Friday's vetoed Security Council resolution, "expressing grave concern over the catastrophic humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip." 

It calls for "an immediate humanitarian ceasefire" as well as the "immediate and unconditional release of all hostages."

The United States blocked the ceasefire resolution on Friday, which came after UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres called an emergency meeting of the Security Council. 

Guterres deployed the rarely-used Article 99 of the UN Charter to bring to the council's attention "any matter which in his opinion may threaten the maintenance of international peace and security."