Saudi Gazette report

RIYADH — Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan discussed on Wednesday with United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres the dangerous situation in the besieged Gaza Strip following the ongoing Israeli aggression. During a phone call received by Prince Faisal from the UN chief, the two leaders underscored the necessity of exerting more efforts to reach an immediate ceasefire in Gaz.

Prince Faisal pledged the Kingdom’s support for the “justified and important” step to invoke Article 99 of the United Nations Charter with regard to the Gaza escalation.

At the outset of the call, Guterres referred to the letter he addressed to the President of the Security Council, invoking for the first time since he assumed office, Article 99 of the United Nations Charter to demand that the Security Council confront the grave danger against the Gaza Strip, which threatens a humanitarian catastrophe. In turn, the Saudi minister expressed the Kingdom's great appreciation and support for the justified and important step taken by Guterres to invoke Article 99 of the UN Charter.

Guterres has invoked Article 99 of the UN Charter to press the Security Council to call for a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza. UN spokesperson Stephane Dujarric said on Wednesday that Guterres had used the article for the first time since he assumed his post in January 2017. The rare move comes as the 15-member Security Council is yet to adopt a resolution calling for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

Article 99 allows the secretary general to “bring to the attention of the Security Council any matter which in his opinion may threaten the maintenance of international peace and security”. In his letter, Guterres invoked this responsibility, saying he believed the situation in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories “may aggravate existing threats to the maintenance of international peace and security”.