UNSC vote on Gaza postponed again due to forced US amendments

By Al Mayadeen English
Source: Al Mayadeen
22 Dec 2023 06:18
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Al Mayadeen's correspondent says the Security Council may return to voting tomorrow, after accepting the amendments requested by the United States.

The empty Security Council Chamber is pictured at UN headquarters in New York City on December 20, 2023. (Photo by Charly TRIBALLEAU / AFP)

The United Nations Security Council concluded closed-door consultations that lasted until Friday dawn without reaching a decision on adopting the UAE-sponsored resolution calling for a ceasefire and expediting the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. This marks the fourth time the UNSC has delayed a vote this week.

According to Al Mayadeen's correspondent in New York, despite the contradictory statements from the US representative, the Security Council concluded its work and will not vote on the resolution tonight. He pointed out that the Council may return to voting tomorrow, after accepting the amendments requested by the United States.

Following days of delays, the latest draft version seen by AFP calls for "urgent steps to immediately allow safe and unhindered humanitarian access, and also for creating the conditions for a sustainable cessation of hostilities." It does not call for an immediate end to fighting.

The International Security Council has repeatedly postponed voting on a draft resolution on Gaza in recent days, at the request of the United States, which vetoed on December 8 a previous text calling for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, further providing its biggest ally, "Israel", with a diplomatic cover to continue committing massacres against the Palestinian people.

Washington's amendments to the Arab resolution on Gaza

Our correspondent reported on the US amendments to the Arab draft resolution on Gaza, which included Washington's rejection of the phrase "urgent suspension of fighting to allow the entry of humanitarian aid." The US called for replacing the phrase with "taking urgent steps to immediately allow safe and unhindered humanitarian access, and also for creating the conditions for a sustainable cessation of hostilities."

Washington also rejected any reference to "Israel" as an "occupying force" due to the duties that this phrase entails under the United Nations Charter. Any such reference was removed from the blue-inked draft resolution.

The United States also refused any reference to the war in Gaza as a threat to peace and international security and a clause emphasizing the necessary compliance of all countries with Security Council resolutions as stipulated in Article 25 of the Charter.

Al Mayadeen's correspondent added that the US requested that the phrase "The Security Council decides that the parties must allow and facilitate the use of all... routes to and throughout the entire Gaza Strip, including border crossings... for the provision of humanitarian assistance," be replaced with "The Security Council calls on the parties... to do so."

This would alleviate the responsibility of the UNSC to take any action to ensure the compliance of concerned parties with the decision to ensure the passage of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip.

The United States requested and already obtained, according to our correspondent, the inclusion of a reference to the "importance of unifying the Gaza Strip and the West Bank under the umbrella of the Palestinian Authority" in the draft resolution.

Similarly, Washington rejected including the phrase that mentions Gaza is an "integral part of the occupied Palestinian territories in 1967 and must become part of the Palestinian state." This phrase was replaced by "Gaza represents an integral part of the occupied territories in 1967, and the Security Council confirms its vision of a two-state solution."

After the meeting, US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield told reporters that "if the resolution is put forward as is, then we can support it."

She denied that the draft resolution had been watered down, saying it was "very strong" and "fully supported by the Arab group."

"We have worked hard and diligently over the course of the past week with the Emiratis, with others, with Egypt, to come up with a resolution that we can support. And we do have that resolution now. We’re ready to vote on it," Thomas-Greenfield said in a briefing.

Earlier, The New York Times cited diplomats in the Security Council as saying that they feel "increasing frustration" about the repeated US requests to postpone voting on the resolution to end the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip.

According to the newspaper, "Israel" is pressuring the United States to reject assigning the United Nations to inspect aid shipments entering the Gaza Strip.

Al Mayadeen's correspondent in New York mentioned that the United States refuses to form a UN supervisory and monitoring mechanism for the entry and distribution of aid.

This comes at a time when the Israeli aggression on the Gaza Strip, ongoing for 77 days now, has left more than 20,000 martyrs and more than 52,000 wounded.