By: Taylor Mangold, Student Reporter*

Palestine opened their press conference commending Hamas on the release of 75 hostages, mostly women, children and the elderly, dubbing the actions “a commitment to peace” and a symbol for other Middle Eastern nations. It is important to note that this press conference was held after the Hamas conference in Qatar before members of the Arabic press and a virtual meeting with the Security Council. 

The motivation for this conference was in lieu of the unescapable conflict in the Gaza Strip, of which Palestine argues is equivalent to genocide. While the violence has been an on-going issue, the bombing in the Southern end of the Gaza Strip has pushed millions of Gazans between a rock and a hard place, specifically an impassable border wall and the bombing of all of Gaza from the Israeli Defence Force. 

Representative Andrew Bobbitt of Palestine expresses the demand for immediate action by the Security Council. Representative Bobbitt said, “People have been born into and have died as hostages of the Israeli government.” According to Representative Bobbitt, the Security Council can not stand by idly while the crisis [in Gaza] destroys the Palestinian people. Representative Bobbitt also stated that the current working resolutions are insufficient as is the supply of humanitarian aid, which is almost half the necessary amount for minimum operation. The meeting adjourned with a question by a local Arab reporter saying, “What will happen once the 5-day ceasefire ends?” 

In response, the Security Council began work on an effective draft resolution. Within the day Resolution SC/I/4 had passed with consensus; the final voting tally was 13-0-2. The resolution seeks to promote safety and offer humanitarian aid to those living around the Gaza strip. Safe zones located and operated by the United Nations would allow a conflict-free space to take up residence in, and UNRWA security forces will enable the safe passage to said zones for displaced citizens.

The views and opinions expressed in this article were part of a simulation of the United Nations held from 18 to 21 November 2023 and do not reflect the views and opinions of the American Model United Nations Conference, American Model United Nations International, LLC., the *Pacific Northwest University, or the governing bodies of the states mentioned in the article.