The UN Security Council will discuss the Gaza war again this Tuesday and is expected to vote on it a resolution presented by the Arab Emirates to facilitate humanitarian access to the Palestinian territory.
The meeting was scheduled for Monday at 3:00 p.m. local time. then rescheduled for two hours later and finally rescheduled for todayto allow for last-minute negotiations on the vocabulary of the text, particularly in relation to the cessation of hostilities.
The United States alone has twice vetoed resolutions calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. At one point he argued that he did not recognize Israel’s right to defend itself and in another case, the release of all hostages held by Hamas was not required as a condition for cessation of fighting.
The resolution contains a sentence that “calls for an urgent and sustained cessation of hostilities.” that allows humanitarian access, and here the United States could object, thereby supporting its ally Israel, which opposes any kind of ceasefire on the grounds that it would help Hamas to rearm and organize.
Amnesty International has already sent a message calling on the USA to adopt this resolution “Any use of the veto will mean more killings, hunger and suffering.”in the words of its Secretary General Agnès Callamard, via her X account (formerly Twitter), a message copied to President Joe Biden and the State Department.
Apart from this sentence about the cessation of hostilities (or “suspension” as proposed by the US), the resolution focuses on the mechanisms to ensure the entry of humanitarian aid, which should be controlled by the United Nations “for a period of one year”, and calls for the unconditional release of the hostages held by Hamas, but also an end to the attacks against civilians and civilian infrastructure.
The Security Council has already met six opportunities to discuss the Gaza issue, only once was consensus reached on a veto-free resolution calling for “urgent and extended humanitarian pauses” in the war. Therefore, the United States decided to abstain.
The latest comes from the Gaza Health Ministry, which is controlled by Hamas. The death toll rises to 19,453 and the number of injured to 52,286.70% children and women, whose number may be higher as many bodies lie under the rubble or on streets since Israeli bombings began on October 7 following Hamas terror attacks.