UN General Assembly president ‘deeply concerned’ by Damascus attack, calls for restraint
Dennis Francis, the president of the UN General Assembly, says he is “deeply concerned about the risk of escalation following the recent attack in Damascus”.
Francis called for “restraint to avoid further harm and suffering to the people in the Middle East”.
“The inviolability of diplomatic premises and diplomatic staff must be respected at all times,” said Francis, who is the current president of the 193-member UN General Assembly.
The Israeli army is reportedly calling up reservists for its Iron Dome and other air defence systems as Iran has promised to respond to an alleged Israeli attack on the Iranian consulate in Damascus.
Deeply concerned about the risk of escalation following the recent attack in Damascus.
The inviolability of diplomatic premises and diplomatic staff must be respected at all times.
I call for restraint to avoid further harm and suffering to the people in the Middle East.
— UN GA President (@UN_PGA) April 4, 2024
Quelle surprise
Spokesperson suggests US will not support Palestine’s bid for full UN membership
US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller has said the question of Palestinian statehood should be determined by “direct negotiations” and “not at the United Nations”, in response to a question on the Palestinian Authority’s push for a vote on full UN membership.
“You’ve seen [US Secretary of State Antony Blinken] engage in very intensive diplomacy over the past few months to try to establish a Palestinian state with security guarantees for Israel,” said Miller.
Miller did not directly say whether the US would veto a UN Security Council vote, which the Palestinian Authority wants to take place this month.
About 140 of the UN’s 193 members have recognised Palestine as a state, but new member states must first be approved by the UN Security Council before obtaining a two-thirds majority in the UN General Assembly.
The Palestinian Authority has held non-member observer status at the United Nations since 2012, but although more than the required two-thirds of the UN General Assembly recognise Palestinian statehood, its application first needs to be approved by the 15-member Security Council.
