In light of new developments in the Middle East, Algeria wants an urgent meeting of the Security Council, and the visit of the Israeli President to Lithuania is postponed.

Algeria is calling on the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to convene an emergency meeting to discuss the current situation regarding the latest Israeli military attacks in the Gaza Strip and the West Bank.

Following the discovery of hostage bodies in Gaza, large-scale protests erupted in Israel. (Source: AP)

AL24 News, citing Algerian radio, stated that the African nation is a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council and therefore pays close attention to the situation in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict zone.

Algeria's appeal came on September 2nd, amid escalating tensions in the Israel-Hamas conflict, following the discovery of six hostage bodies in a tunnel in Gaza by Israeli forces last weekend.

Meanwhile, in early September, intense fighting between Israeli forces and Hamas militants resulted in at least 48 Palestinian deaths across the Gaza Strip. Israel also repeatedly carried out airstrikes on refugee camps, causing numerous fatalities.

Not only in Gaza, but Israel is also launching a large-scale military operation in the West Bank, home to 3.3 million Palestinians. According to the Palestinian Health Agency, since the conflict broke out in October 2023, more than 660 Palestinians have been killed in Israeli attacks across the region.

These developments are expected to further cast a dark shadow over the negotiation process, while putting greater pressure on Prime Minister Netanyahu's government to quickly reach an agreement to rescue the hostages.

In another development, on September 4th, Lithuanian state broadcaster LRT quoted Asta Skaisgiryte, foreign policy advisor to Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda, as saying that Israeli President Isaac Herzog's planned visit to the Baltic nation could take place after tensions in the Middle East subside.

According to diplomatic sources, President Herzog's visit to Lithuania was initially planned for June but was later postponed to the fall. According to Ms. Skaisgiryte, Vilnius has not yet set a specific date for the visit.

Speaking to reporters, Ms. Skaisgiryte announced: “His visit remains on our agenda, but we want the situation in the Middle East to calm down a bit… That would certainly create a better context for the Israeli president’s visit, as the situation there remains very tense.”

In recent months, Israel has struggled to rally global support for its fight with Hamas in the Gaza Strip. Currently, Western allies are pressuring Israel to reach a ceasefire agreement.

The international community is concerned about Israel's disproportionate use of force in the conflict, causing civilian casualties and worsening the humanitarian situation in the world's most populous region. However, Israel is determined to completely destroy Hamas and accuses the movement of using civilians as human shields.

Source: https://baoquocte.vn/truoc-dien-bien-moi-o-trung-dong-algeria-muon-hdba-hop-khan-chuyen-tham-lithuania-cua-tong-thong-israel-bi-hoan-284936.html