UNSC VOTE ON GAZA POSTPONED TO MONDAY
China and Russia veto US resolution for not demanding Israel to immediately halt campaign
AVOTE at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on a new text calling for an “immediate” ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war was postponed to Monday, diplomatic sources said, after a separate, United States-lead draft resolution was vetoed.
The US, Israel’s main ally and military backer, had put forward a resolution mentioning “the imperative of an immediate and sustained ceasefire” and condemning the Oct 7 attack by Hamas.
Russia and China on Friday vetoed that resolution, which was also opposed by Arab states for stopping short of explicitly demanding Israel immediately end its campaign in Gaza.
The new ceasefire text was meant to go to a vote yesterday, but was pushed back to allow further discussions, the diplomatic sources said.
The new, tougher draft resolution, seen by AFP, “demands an immediate ceasefire” for the ongoing holy month of Ramadan that leads “to a permanent sustainable ceasefire” respected by all sides.
Eight of the council’s 10 nonpermanent members have been working on the draft, which also calls for the “immediate and unconditional” release of hostages seized by Hamas and the lifting of “all barriers” to humanitarian aid flowing into the besieged Gaza Strip.
“We as the Arab Group unanimously endorse and support the draft resolution,” said Palestinian ambassador to the UN Riyad Mansour, who had denounced the US-led text as biased.
But US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield indicated opposition, saying the resolution would jeopardise ongoing diplomatic efforts to secure the release of hostages – the same reason the US gave before vetoing previous ceasefire resolutions.
“In its current form, that text fails to support sensitive diplomacy in the region. Worse, it could give Hamas an excuse to walk away from the deal on the table,” she said.
Friday’s text did not explicitly use the word “call”, but stated that a ceasefire was imperative, and linked to ongoing talks, led by Qatar with support from the US and Egypt, to halt fighting in return for Hamas releasing hostages.
“If the US is serious about a ceasefire, then please vote in favour of the other draft resolution, clearly calling for a ceasefire,” China’s representative, Zhang Jun, said.
Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres is expected to visit Egypt’s border with Gaza yesterday, after Israel vowed to send its troops to fight Hamas in Rafah, even without US support.
During his visit, Guterres plans to reiterate his call for a humanitarian ceasefire, though renewed international pressure has so far failed to dissuade Israel from the planned ground offensive in Rafah, where most of Gaza’s population has taken shelter.
Despite warnings that such an operation would cause mass civilian casualties and worsen the humanitarian crisis gripping the territory, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said he would press ahead with the attack.
“I hope to do that with the support of the US, but if we need to, we will do it alone,” Netanyahu told visiting US Secretary of State Antony Blinken on Friday.
International efforts to pause the almost six months of fighting have intensified, with the health ministry in Hamas-run Gaza reporting 32,070 people killed in the Palestinian territory as of Friday and multiple UN warnings of imminent famine.
“This is a man-made catastrophe,” the head of the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees (UNRWA), Philippe Lazzarini, wrote on X.
He added that a ceasefire and “flooding Gaza with food and lifesaving goods” was the only solution.