The U.N. Security Council will vote on a U.S.-sponsored resolution declaring that an “immediate and sustained ceasefire” in the war between Israel and Hamas in Gaza is necessary to protect civilians and enable humanitarian aid to be delivered to the more than 2 million Palestinians In a state of hunger.
U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said she was optimistic the 15-member council would approve the new, stricter draft resolution on Friday.
The draft being put to a vote “identifies” – which is a Security Council order – “the need for an immediate and sustained ceasefire” and is not directly related to the release of hostages taken during Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel. was in the previous draft. But it will unequivocally support diplomatic efforts to “secure a ceasefire and release all remaining hostages.”
Russia’s deputy ambassador to the United Nations, Dmitry Polyansky, said Moscow would not be satisfied with “anything that does not call for an immediate ceasefire,” saying that was what U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken had urged and what “everyone “Everyone wants it.
The Security Council has adopted two resolutions on the deteriorating humanitarian situation in Gaza, but none calling for a ceasefire.
In late October, Russia and China vetoed a U.S.-sponsored resolution calling for a moratorium in fighting to deliver aid, protect civilians and stop arming Hamas. They said this did not reflect calls for a global ceasefire.
The United States, Israel’s closest ally, has vetoed three resolutions calling for a ceasefire, the most recent Arab-backed resolution on February 20 being supported by 13 Security Council members, with one abstaining.
A day earlier, the United States circulated a competing resolution that underwent significant changes in negotiations ahead of Friday’s vote. It would initially have supported a temporary ceasefire tied to the release of all hostages, while previous drafts would have supported international efforts for a ceasefire as part of a hostage deal.
The vote will come as top U.S. diplomat Blinken heads to the Middle East for his sixth emergency mission since the start of Israel’s war with Hamas to discuss ceasefires and the release of hostages and scenarios for a post-war agreement.
“This resolution provides an opportunity for the Security Council to come together to support diplomatic efforts on the ground and provide support to Kazakhstan,” said Nate Evans, a spokesman for the U.S. mission to the United Nations, who announced the results of Friday morning’s vote. Mas put pressure on it to accept the resolution.” The deal was on the negotiating table. “
Meanwhile, the 10 elected members of the Security Council have been drafting their own resolution calling for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which begins on March 10, “to be respected by all parties and lead to a permanent and sustainable ceasefire.” . -fire. “
It also demanded the “immediate and unconditional release of all hostages” and stressed the urgent need to protect civilians and provide humanitarian aid throughout the Gaza Strip.
On October 7, Palestinian militants launched a surprise attack in southern Israel, killing about 1,200 people, triggering the war, and abducting another 250 people. Hamas is still believed to be holding about 100 people hostage, as well as the remains of 30 others.
In Gaza, the Hamas-run health ministry on Thursday raised the Palestinian death toll in the area to nearly 32,000. It did not distinguish between civilians and combatants in its head count, but said women and children accounted for two-thirds of the deaths.
The international authority responsible for determining the extent of the hunger crisis warned this week that “famine is imminent” in northern Gaza, where 70 percent of people are experiencing catastrophic hunger. A report from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification Initiative (IPC) warns that an escalation in the war could push half of Gaza’s population to the brink of starvation.
The US draft would express “deep concern about the threat of famine and epidemics caused by the conflict currently faced by civilians in Gaza and the number of people suffering from malnutrition and the fact that hunger in Gaza has reached catastrophic levels”.
It will emphasize the “urgent need to expand humanitarian assistance to civilians throughout the Gaza Strip” and remove all obstacles to providing aid to civilians “on a large scale.”
The draft was submitted Thursday night in “blue” form, the final form needed for a vote.
“Everyone wants action, no one wants to delay it, so we hope to be able to do it by tomorrow (Friday) evening,” France’s ambassador to the United Nations, Nicolas de Rivière, told reporters after private Security Council consultations on Gaza on Thursday night. Make a decision.”
“There are two options: either the US text is adopted and then we will move to the next phase of crisis management,” he said, “or the text is not adopted and then the draft of the elected members will be submitted to the Council and put to a vote.” , I hope it gets passed. “
Israel is facing growing pressure even from its closest allies to simplify aid entering the Gaza Strip, open more land crossings and agree to a ceasefire. But Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to shift the military offensive to the southern city of Rafah, where some 1.3 million displaced Palestinians seek safety. Netanyahu says it is a Hamas stronghold.
The final U.S. draft removed language from the original draft that said Israel’s attack on Rafah “should not proceed under the current circumstances.” Instead, the Council will emphasize in its introductory paragraph its concern that a ground attack on Rafah “will lead to further harm to civilians and their further displacement, possibly into neighboring countries, and have serious implications for regional peace and security.”
For the first time in a UN resolution, the US draft condemns “all acts of terrorism, including the Hamas-led attack on October 7, 2023, as well as the taking and killing of hostages, the murder of civilians and sexual violence, including rape.”
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