This week, a dramatic public battle has been playing out between the United Nations, Israel and the United States. On Wednesday, the U.N. Security Council voted down two competing resolutions on the Israel-Hamas war. These votes came one day after Israel called for the U.N. secretary general to resign in response to his comments that the Oct. 7 attack by Hamas on Israel, while appalling, “cannot justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people.”

Against this backdrop, families of Israeli hostages spoke at the U.N. on Tuesday. One of those relatives was Alana Zeitchik, whose six cousins are among the hostages still being held in Gaza. Today, we hear from Ms. Zeitchik about why she decided to speak to the international body and her view of the U.N.’s role in this conflict.

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The Israel-Hamas war is evolving by the minute. To help bring you the most up-to-date developments, we’re beginning the “The Headlines: War Briefing,” where you’ll hear the latest from our correspondents on the ground every afternoon. Hosted by Lulu Garcia-Navarro.