Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Gilad Erdan (French)

Israel's ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, threatened to close the United Nations headquarters in Jerusalem and expel its officials if UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres did not activate Article 99 of the organization's charter in favor of Israel.

Aradane said yesterday, Wednesday, "We must close the United Nations headquarters in Jerusalem and expel its officials if Article 99 does not work in our favor."

Israel seeks to activate Article 99 of the United Nations Charter to release Israeli prisoners detained in Gaza, and to raise Israeli allegations regarding the Palestinian resistance committing sexual crimes for discussion in the Security Council.

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Israel's ambassador to the United Nations: We must close the United Nations headquarters in Jerusalem and expel its officials if Article 99 is not activated in our favor pic.twitter.com/Jd2e0VCAs4

- Al Jazeera Egypt (@AJA_Egypt) March 6, 2024

Article 99 of the United Nations Charter contained in Chapter 15 - which relates to the Organization’s General Secretariat and the duties of the Secretary-General - stipulates that “the Secretary-General has the right to alert the Security Council to any matter that he deems may threaten the maintenance of international peace and security.”

It is one of 5 articles in the United Nations Charter that define the tasks of the Secretary-General, and it is considered the most important in the context of international peace and security.

Guterres used Article 99 last December, in an unprecedented message to the Security Council regarding the Israeli war on Gaza, warning of its dangers on a global level. He also warned that public order in the Strip was about to collapse completely.

Guterres then warned in his letter - which set a precedent as he used Article 99 for the first time since taking office in 2017 - that the war in Gaza “may exacerbate existing threats to international peace and security.”

He said, "We face a grave danger of the collapse of the humanitarian system. The situation is rapidly deteriorating toward a catastrophe that may have irreversible consequences for the Palestinians and for peace and security in the region."

Source: Al Jazeera