UNSC to meet today

The United Nations Security Council has convened a meeting on Friday in the wake of the US President Donald Trump announcing his decision to recognise Jerusalem as Israel's capital. At least eight of the 15 members of the Security Council, including Britain and France -– the two permanent members which closely align themselves on most of the global issues –- joined by other non-permanent members -- Bolivia, Egypt, Italy, Senegal, Sweden, Britain and Uruguay -- asked for a special meeting of the top decision-making wing of the New York-headquartered world body.

The UN Secretary General António Guterres’ is expected to address the Security Council on Friday. Earlier in a statement, Guterres said that Jerusalem was the final status issue and must be resolved through direct negotiations.

"In this moment of great anxiety, I want to make it clear: there is no alternative to the two-state solution. There is no Plan B," he said, adding that he has consistently spoken out against any unilateral measures that would "jeopardise" the prospect of peace for Israelis and Palestinians. "Jerusalem is a final status issue that must be resolved through direct negotiations between the two parties on the basis of the relevant Security Council and General Assembly resolutions, taking into account the legitimate concerns of both the Palestinian and the Israeli sides," Guterres said.