The invocation of Article 99’s value is only symbolic, as it is a formal means through which the UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres placed on record before the highest body in the UN his repeated calls for a ceasefire, Ambika Satkunanathan writes for TRT World.

Interestingly, in his letter, Guterres does not refer to his previous public statements on the need to adhere to international humanitarian law.

Nor has he reiterated that Israel, a member of the UN, is duty-bound to adhere to international humanitarian law. Instead, he made a desperate appeal to the big five.

This suggests that the secretary general recognises a potential for more positive outcomes by appealing to their sense of humanity rather than relying on legal frameworks that have been repeatedly ignored.

Read the full opinion here.