The U.N. Security Council met on Wednesday (February 18) amid warnings that Israeli actions in the West Bank risk undermining prospects for peace, even as a fragile ceasefire continues in Gaza. Briefing the Council, U.N. political affairs chief Rosemary DiCarlo said the region faces a narrow and uncertain opening after years of conflict and suffering. She urged members to consolidate the Gaza ceasefire and advance recovery in line with international law, calling an upcoming U.S.-led Board of Peace meeting in Washington "an important step." DiCarlo warned, however, that developments in the West Bank are moving in the opposite direction. She said unilateral Israeli measures amount to a "gradual de-facto annexation," citing reported decisions to expand Israeli civil authority in areas administered by the Palestinian Authority, including sensitive locations such as Hebron. She said the moves could accelerate settlement expansion by easing land purchases and building permits.
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