UN chief invokes "dramatic constitutional move" on Gaza to bring upon ceasefire

The UN Security Council is set to meet on December 8 to discuss the war in Gaza after UN Secretary-General António Guterres invoked Article 99 of the UN Charter, allowing him to bring matters threatening international peace and security to the Security Council.

Guterres reiterated his call for a humanitarian ceasefire, making use of this tool for the first time since entering office in 2017, as reported by Al Jazeera.

UN Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric explained that the UN chief was taking the step “given the scale of the loss of human life in Gaza and Israel, in such a short amount of time”.

He described the use of Article 99 as a "dramatic constitutional move" that Mr. Guterres hoped would put more pressure on the Council - and the international community at large - to demand a ceasefire between the warring parties.

"I think it's arguably the most important invocation", Mr. Dujarric told reporters at UN Headquarters, "in my opinion, the most powerful tool that he [the Secretary-General] has."

Israeli Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan criticized Guterres, calling his letter "a new moral low".