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UNSC to discuss situation in Gaza on Kuwaiti request

NEW YORK, May 15 (KUNA) -- The UN Security Council (UNSC) is set to hold a session on the situation in the Middle East including the Gaza Strip on Tuesday, requested by Kuwait.
The meeting will be held in response to the escalated Israeli violence in Gaza that killed 52 Palestinians on Monday.
During the UNSC's session on the situation in Palestine on April 26, UN Peace Coordinator for the Middle East Peace Process Nikolay Mladenov said "Gaza is about to explode." He also warned that an outbreak of a new conflict between Israel and Hamas will destroy stability in the West Bank and may also affect the whole region.
This week, Palestinians continued their protests named "Great March of Return" which began on 30 March. The protests are expected to reach their peak today as Palestine commemorates the "Nakba Day", in memory of the displacement of Palestinians that preceded and followed the Israeli Declaration of Independence in 1948.
Israel has warned protesters against breaking into the fence to enter Israeli lands. Israel also accused Palestinians of setting its lands on fire and used live ammunition and tear gas against protesters.
Yesterday's death toll was the highest since protests broke out, while there are also over 1,600 wounded in the confrontations.
Today's protests were fueled by the moving of the US Embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem.
The UNSC had on December 18, 2017 proposed a draft law stating that any measure that could affect the situation and demography in Jerusalem is illegal. The draft law was packed by 14 member-states but was not approved.
A short while later, the UN General Assembly approved a similar law with a majority of 128 votes, nine against and 35 refrained from voting.
Meanwhile, Kuwait and ten other UNSC members sent letters to the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres demanding written reports on the execution of resolution number 2334, which states that Israeli settlements are illegal and expansion must be stopped.
The letters also called for taking urgent and serious measures to end Israeli violence. (end) asf.ag