2024-03-27 13:36:57
The UN Security Council approved passing a draft ceasefire resolution in the Gaza Strip during Monday’s session.
Russia added an amendment to the draft law, which was the word “permanent” ceasefire, but the amendment was not approved, and the basic version was voted on.
The United States abstained from voting, while the other 14 members voted in favor of the resolution, which was proposed by the 10 elected members of the Council.
In addition, the Security Council called for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, noting that there is an urgent need to increase aid to Gaza, and demanding the removal of all obstacles to the delivery of aid.
In turn, the Secretary-General of the United Nations, Antonio Guterres, said that the Security Council resolution must be implemented or the detainees released, while the American representative confirmed that the ceasefire in Gaza could begin “immediately” after the release of the first hostage.
Last Friday, Russia and China used their veto power in the Security Council to drop a US draft resolution in which Washington supported for the first time an “immediate” ceasefire in Gaza, linking it to the release of the hostages who were kidnapped during Hamas’s unprecedented attack on Israeli territory on October 7. October.
Some observers saw in that project a major shift in the position of Washington, which is under pressure to reduce its support for Israel at a time when the Israeli attack killed 32,333 people in Gaza, according to the latest toll announced by the Hamas Ministry of Health.
The United States has previously systematically opposed the term “ceasefire” in United Nations resolutions, and has also obstructed three texts in this context.
The American text that was overturned by veto did not explicitly call for an immediate ceasefire, but rather used wording that was considered ambiguous by the Arab countries and China, as well as Russia, which denounced the “hypocrisy” of the United States.
The draft resolution put to a vote today is the result of the work of non-permanent members of the Council who negotiated with the United States throughout the weekend in an attempt to avoid another failure, according to diplomatic sources who expressed some optimism about the outcome of the vote.
The draft, in its latest version, calls for an immediate ceasefire during the month of Ramadan, which began two weeks ago, provided that it “leads to a permanent ceasefire,” and also “demands the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.”
Unlike the American text that was rejected on Friday, the new draft resolution does not link these requests to the diplomatic efforts made by Qatar, the United States and Egypt, even if it “admits” the existence of these talks aimed at a truce accompanied by an exchange of Israeli hostages and Palestinian prisoners.
Last updated: March 25, 2024 – 20:39
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2024-03-27 13:36:57