UNSC adopts resolution demanding immediate ceasefire after US abstains
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With the US abstaining from the vote, the UNSC's 14 other members voted in favor of the resolution, which was sponsored by the Security Council's 10 elected members.
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The UN Security Council votes on a draft resolution on the war on Gaza put forth by the United States. (UN photo)
Following the United States' abstention from the vote, the United Nations Security Council requested an immediate ceasefire between the Israeli occupation forces and the Palestinian Resistance, as well as the immediate and unconditional release of all captives.
With the US abstaining, the 14 other members voted in favor of the resolution, which was sponsored by the Security Council's 10 elected members.
Algeria's UN Ambassador Amar Bendjama expressed after the vote that the Palestinians have "suffered greatly", citing that the "bloodbath has continued for far too long."
Shortly before the council meeting began, Israeli army radio claimed that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu would cancel a scheduled mission to Washington if the US did not reject the measure.
Washington has repeatedly opposed the term "ceasefire", and it used its veto authority to defend its ally for its war on Gaza, which has killed over 32,000 Palestinians and injured over 74,694.
US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield claimed that the US was "working around the clock" to drive "diplomacy on the ground," adding that a ceasefire could only take effect if the Palestinian Resistance movement, Hamas, released the first captive.
"A ceasefire can begin immediately with the release of the first hostage and so we must put pressure on Hamas to do just that," she said.
The ambassador also alleged the US abstained due to the language of the text not including a condemnation of Hamas.
"This must be a turning point," an emotional Palestinian UN envoy Riyad Mansour told the Security Council after the vote on Monday. "This must lead to saving lives on the ground."
Commenting on the resolution, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Monday urged the implementation of the first Security Council resolution demanding a ceasefire in Gaza, after "Israel" voiced anger.
"This resolution must be implemented. Failure would be unforgivable," Guterres wrote on X, formerly known as Twitter.
His comments came after Israeli Security Minister Yoav Gallant said that "Israel" will not end its war on Gaza until all captives are freed.
"We have no moral right to stop the war while there are still hostages held in Gaza. The lack of a decisive victory in Gaza may bring us closer to a war in the north," Gallant said ahead of meetings with National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
However, the United States said Monday it will find ways to warn "Israel" against an attack on Rafah, after a delegation to discuss US concerns was scrapped.
"We believe this type of full-scale invasion would be a mistake," State Department Spokesperson Matthew Miller told reporters, adding that Secretary of State Antony Blinken would likely discuss Rafah with the visiting Israeli Security Minister.
This all comes as Russia introduced an amendment to add a call for a "permanent" rather than "lasting" ceasefire, but the vote failed and Moscow still voted for the resolution.
"The word 'lasting' could be interpreted in various different ways, and that is very telling. Those who are providing cover for Israel still want to give it a free hand," said Russia's ambassador, Vasily Nebenzia.
France said that the resolution ended the "deafening silence" by the Security Council on Gaza but called for work on a permanent ceasefire once Ramadan ends in around two weeks.
"This crisis is not over," said France's UN representative, Nicolas de Riviere.
The resolution also "emphasizes the urgent need to expand the flow of humanitarian assistance to and reinforce the protection of civilians in the entire Gaza Strip and reiterates its demand for the lifting of all barriers to the provision of humanitarian assistance at scale."
Earlier, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged "Israel" on Monday to lift all obstacles to aid into Gaza and allow convoys of the UN Palestinian refugee agency UNRWA into Gaza's north.
Famine is imminent and likely to occur by May in northern Gaza and could spread across the enclave by July, according to a UN-backed report by a global authority on food security released last week.
According to the version seen by AFP on Sunday, the text "demands an immediate ceasefire" for the ongoing Muslim holy month of Ramadan, "leading to a permanent sustainable ceasefire." In contrast, it "demands the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages as well as the lifting of all barriers to the provision of humanitarian assistance at scale."
US has so far blocked all previous resolutions for Gaza
In addition to providing the Israeli occupation entity with military support, the United States has vetoed three draft resolutions, two of which would have called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, citing concerns about jeopardizing ongoing efforts to broker a pause in fighting and release Israeli captives.
Washington has also abstained twice on resolutions aimed at aiding Gaza and calling for pauses in the fighting.
The US blocked in February a UN Security Council resolution sponsored by Algeria calling for an emergency humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza.
13 members of the UN Security Council voted in favor, while the United Kingdom abstained and the US vetoed the resolution.
The proposed resolution called for "an immediate humanitarian ceasefire that must be respected by all parties."
The resolution also urges all involved in the war to "comply with their obligations under international law," particularly regarding civilians and hostages, in addition to demanding the immediate release of all captives.
Russia and China used their veto power on Friday to block a US-drafted Gaza ceasefire resolution at the United Nations Security Council.
The resolution, which fell short of explicitly calling for a ceasefire, faced criticism from both Moscow and Beijing for its perceived shortcomings.
The resolution garnered support from eleven UNSC members, a Sputnik correspondent said, with three opposing it and one abstaining from the vote.
'Israel' rejects Hamas ceasefire demands, talks in deadlock: Sources
The Israeli occupation rejected the demands made by the Palestinian Resistance once again in light of the ongoing deadlock in ceasefire talks, sources in the Palestinian Resistance told Al Mayadeen on Sunday.
Hamas had articulated four key demands: a ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, the return of displaced civilians, and a meaningful exchange of prisoners. However, leaked information regarding the Israeli regime's response indicates a significant gap between the two parties' positions.
The Israeli occupation's stance has been described as "inflexible" by the sources. Notably, "Israel" refuses the gradual return of displaced individuals, regardless of their demographic, and the establishment of new camps to house the hundreds of thousands of displaced individuals.
Additionally, regarding the exchange of prisoners, the Israeli occupation's proposed rates are seen as inadequate, leading to a significant reduction in the number of Palestinian detainees slated for release, the Palestinian sources added.
The deadlock in the negotiations and the rigid Israeli response clashes with Hamas and the Resistance's vision that any deal must align with their fair and flexible demands.
