The General Assembly will meet at 10am New York time to examine the US veto of the latest Security Council draft resolution calling for a ceasefire in war-torn Gaza, where a grim, forewarned landscape of famine has seen babies and children die of starvation in recent days. Follow our live coverage here and at @UN_News_Centre.
The Assembly will debate the matter under a mechanism that examines the use of veto in the Security Council, which can trigger an emergency special session on the matter. Read our explainer what happens when the Security Council fails to reach agreement here and on emergency special sessions here.
Security Council deadlock
For weeks, the Security Council has been deadlocked over adopting a resolution to end the war, which has killed more than 30,000 Palestinians. The US has vetoed several drafts since the start of the war. The Council's five permanent members (China, France, Russia, United Kingdom, United States) have the power to cast a veto.
Over the weekend, the Security Council issued a statement calling for immediate action to swiftly ramp up aid delivery to the enclave, especially to the devastated northern region.
That came after last Thursday's deadly attack on hungry Palestinians waiting for aid deliveries organized by Israel.
In the 15-member organ's statement, the Council expressed deep concern over reports that "more than 100 individuals lost their lives, with several hundred others sustaining injuries, including gunshot wounds...in an incident involving Israeli forces at a large gathering surrounding a humanitarian assistance convoy southwest of Gaza City."
According to media reports, on a Saturday, a similar Israeli attack on Gazans waiting for aid left many dead and many more injured.
UNRWA to brief General Assembly
Later in the day, the General Assembly will hear a briefing by Philippe Lazzarini, the head of the UN agency for Palestine refugees, UNRWA, who is expected to brief following his letter to Assembly President Dennis Francis last week.
In the letter, the UNRWA chief said the agency would soon be unable to fulfil its mandate because of funding cuts stemming from Israel's allegations that agency workers were complicit in Hamas's October attacks.
