Present and Future of the Conflict in Gaza – Presentation of the Security Council Index
The war in Gaza has shaken not only consciences but also the very foundations of multilateralism. The images of destruction, the polarization of the international debate, and the lack of consensus within the United Nations have once again called into question the system’s ability to respond to human suffering and uphold international law. What is happening today in the Middle East transcends the borders of the conflict itself: it reflects a broader crisis of legitimacy and effectiveness within the institutions created to safeguard peace.
With this in mind, GATE Center presented on October 28 the second edition of its Security Council Index, focused on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and its evolution since 2014. This analytical tool examines two decades of resolutions, vetoes, and voting patterns, offering a critical perspective on how interests, alliances, and power dynamics have shaped the actions of the UN’s main peace and security body.
The event featured the participation of former Prime Minister José Luis Rodríguez Zapatero, President of the GATE Center Advisory Council, who emphasized the need to review the role of the Security Council and the use of the veto in an international system once again confronted with images of war and suffering thought to belong to the past. Zapatero stressed that the response to terrorism cannot be based on a “whatever it takes” logic, and that future generations must learn from the pain of the past to avoid repeating the same mistakes.
Next, Paula Ballesteros, researcher at GATE Center, presented the results of the Security Council Index, developed together with Matías Mongán, which compiles 25 resolutions related to the Gaza conflict between 2005 and 2025. The analysis provides a systematic view of states’ voting patterns and the evolution of positions around one of the longest and most sensitive conflicts in the international system. The Index, available on the GATE Center website, also includes a timeline of key historical milestones of the conflict since 1917.
The day concluded with a roundtable titled “Present and Future of the Conflict in Gaza”, moderated by Susanne Gratius, Academic Coordinator at GATE Center, who guided a thoughtful and balanced dialogue among the participants. Experts Ignacio Álvarez-Ossorio, Cristina Muñoz Pavón, Barah Mikaïl, and Olga Rodríguez discussed the structural causes of the conflict, the role of the Security Council, and the regional and global implications of the current escalation. The debate converged on the urgent need to restore the centrality of international law and to promote a more coherent multilateral action capable of combining diplomacy with the effective defense of human rights.
With this second edition of the Security Council Index, GATE Center reaffirms its commitment to rigorous analysis, informed debate, and the construction of a fairer and more representative system of global governance — one in which the principles of peace, justice, and international cooperation remain at the heart of collective action.