Palestinian Authority renews bid for United Nations membership

PALESTINE: The Palestinian Authority has once again made a formal request for membership in the United Nations, as announced in a statement posted on X by the Palestinian Permanent Observer to the UN on Wednesday (3 April).

“Today, the State of Palestine and upon instructions of the Palestinian leadership, sent a letter to the Secretary General requesting renewed consideration to (Palestine) membership application.”

The letter dated 2 April, signed by Riyad Mansour, Permanent Observer of the State of Palestine for UN, referred back to the initial application for membership submitted in September 2011 and sought renewed consideration in the current month.

Today, the State of Palestine, and upon instructions of the Palestinian leadership, sent a letter the Secretary General requesting renewed consideration to Membership application @pmofa @antonioguterres #Palestine @UN pic.twitter.com/9plDMrhKro

— State of Palestine (@Palestine_UN) April 2, 2024

On 23 September 2011, Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas submitted the Palestinian Authority’s application to become the 194th member of the United Nations to then-Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon.

However, despite their efforts, the Palestinian bid encountered a setback as they failed to secure UN recognition as an independent member state.

Nevertheless, in the subsequent year, there was a notable development as the UN revised their status from “non-member observer entity” to “non-member observer state,” aligning with the status held by the Vatican within the international body.

In tandem with the State of Palestine’s letter, the Arab Group, the Organization of Islamic Cooperation (OIC), and the Non-Aligned Movement (NAM) dispatched a joint communication dated 2 April to key UN figures.

Addressed to UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, President of the General Assembly Dennis Francis, and President of the Security Council Vanessa Frazier, this letter signifies collective support for the admission of Palestine as a Member State of the United Nations.

The letter emphasized, “In this connection, we wish to bring to your attention that, as of this date, 140 Member States have recognized the State of Palestine.”

To achieve full membership in the United Nations, an application must initially secure approval from the Security Council, with support from at least nine out of its 15 members and no veto from any of the five permanent members.

Following Security Council approval, the application must then secure the support of at least two-thirds of the 193-member General Assembly.

In parallel to the letter by the State of Palestine, the Arab Group, #OIC, and #NAM sent letters to @antonioguterres, @UN_PGA, and @_VanessaFrazier 🇲🇹, supporting the application of the State of #Palestine and its admission to the United Nations 🇵🇸 🇺🇳 pic.twitter.com/upLWz37ga2

— State of Palestine (@Palestine_UN) April 2, 2024

Speaking to Reuters, Mansour informed that the goal was for the Security Council to reach a decision during a ministerial meeting on the Middle East scheduled for 18 April, although no vote had been arranged as of yet.

He noted that a previous Palestinian application for full membership, dating back to 2011, remained unresolved as the 15-member council had not formally decided on it.

“The intention is to put the application to a vote in the Security Council this month,” Mansour stated.

For April, Malta holds the presidency of the Security Council.

However, Vanessa Frazier, Malta’s UN Ambassador, clarified that she had not yet received a formal request for action from the Palestinians.

Amidst efforts to end the ongoing conflict, there has been mounting global pressure for the resumption of initiatives aimed at brokering a two-state solution, which entails the establishment of an independent Palestinian state alongside Israel.

Gaza conflict: Rising casualties and destruction amidst Israeli offensive

The conflict in Gaza has taken a devastating toll, with casualties mounting on both sides.

Since 7 October, at least 32,916 Palestinians have lost their lives, and 75,494 have been wounded in Israeli attacks.

Hamas’s attack on 7 October has resulted in a death toll of 1,139 in Israel, with several individuals still held captive.

Amidst the chaos, Israel’s military has concluded a two-week raid on al-Shifa hospital in Gaza City, leaving significant destruction in its wake.

The hospital, a vital medical complex, now lies largely in ruins, with Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry reporting the discovery of dozens of bodies amidst the devastation.

According to the Israel Defense Forces (IDF), the operation targeted Hamas operatives who had sought refuge within the hospital premises.

The health ministry has declared the medical complex “completely out of service,” with reports of bodies, some in a decomposed state, discovered in and around the premises.

On 3 April, UN Secretary-General Guterres took to X to condemn the violence in Gaza, expressing particular sorrow over the loss of aid workers.

The recent Israeli strike, resulting in the deaths of seven World Central Kitchen staff members, has added to the grim toll, bringing the total number of aid workers killed in Gaza to 196, with over 175 being UN personnel.

Guterres denounced these losses as “unconscionable.”

The devastating Israeli airstrikes that killed @WCKitchen personnel yesterday bring the number of aid workers killed in this conflict to 196 – including more than 175 members of our own @UN staff.

This is unconscionable.

— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) April 2, 2024

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has acknowledged the involvement of Israeli forces in the attack, attributing it to unintentional actions amid the chaos of warfare.