After arduous negotiations, the UN Security Council demanded in a resolution a “large-scale” increase in humanitarian aid to Gaza, without calling for an immediate ceasefire, which the United States rejects despite international pressure.
Published on: 12/23/2023 – 01:45
5 minutes
The resolution was adopted with the approval of 13 of the 15 members of the Council, with two abstentions (the United States and Russia), and it calls on “all parties to enable and facilitate the immediate, safe and unhindered delivery of large-scale humanitarian assistance” to Gaza, and to take “urgent” measures in this regard and” Creating conditions for a sustainable cessation of hostilities.
A step in the right direction
The text also calls for the use of “all available entry and movement methods throughout the Gaza Strip” to deliver fuel, food, and medical equipment to all parts of the Strip.
Lana Zaki Nusseibeh, the UAE ambassador who presented the text, commented, “We know that it is not an ideal text, and we know that only a ceasefire will put an end to the suffering,” adding that the text nevertheless “practically responds to the desperate humanitarian situation of the Palestinian people.”
As for the Palestinian Ambassador to the United Nations, Riyad Mansour, he described the decision as “a step in the right direction,” adding, “It must be implemented and must be accompanied by tremendous pressure for an immediate ceasefire.” Mansour stressed that the use of humanitarian aid is “a means of war that must be used.” “It ends now.”
For its part, Hamas said that the decision is “an insufficient step, and does not meet the requirements of the catastrophic situation created by the Zionist military terror machine in the Gaza Strip.”
Read also: Half a million people are threatened with hunger in Gaza…and UN bodies are sounding the alarm
The real problem
For his part, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres considered that “a humanitarian ceasefire is the only way to meet the dire needs of the population in Gaza and put an end to their ongoing nightmare,” explaining that he “hoped” for more from the Council.
Guterres directly criticized Israel, saying that the “real problem” facing the delivery of aid to Gaza is the Israeli “attack.”
The text of the resolution changed from the more ambitious version proposed by the UAE on Sunday, after long discussions at the risk of the United States once again using its veto power.
The reference to an “urgent and permanent cessation of hostilities” in Sunday’s draft was removed, as was the less direct request in subsequent drafts for an “urgent suspension of hostilities.”
Criticized Washington
Russian Ambassador Vasily Nebenzia considered, “This is a tragic moment for the Council,” denouncing American “blackmail.” Nebenzia added, “If this document had not received the support of a number of Arab countries, we would of course have used the right of veto.”
The head of Amnesty International, Agnes Callamard, considered it “shameful” that the Americans threatened to use their veto power to “weaken” the resolution.
In turn, Oxfam official Sally Abi Khalil said, “Not calling for a ceasefire (…) is incomprehensible.”
A glimmer of hope
This is the second time that the Council has succeeded in issuing a resolution, and its previous resolution issued on November 15 had called for “humanitarian truces.” Five other texts were rejected within two months, including two due to the American veto, the last of which was on December 8th.
US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield stressed, “It took long days and nights of negotiations to put things right, but today, this council offers a ray of hope in an ocean of unimaginable suffering.”
In turn, British Foreign Secretary David Cameron said, “It is good news that the United Nations has united in supporting a decision to bring more humanitarian aid into Gaza.”
Negotiations around the new resolution were intense, especially regarding the conditions for establishing a monitoring mechanism to ensure the “humanitarian” nature of the aid.
The approved version proposes a system under the auspices of a UN “coordinator” responsible for “accelerating” the delivery process through “consultation” with the parties, which means that Israel will retain operational oversight of aid delivery.
Read also: Committee to Protect Journalists: The war in Gaza is the bloodiest period for journalists since the start of data collection in 1992
No mention of Hamas
After the UN vote, Israel said it would continue to inspect all aid coming into Gaza “for security reasons,” and Israel’s UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan stated, “It is clear that the UN cannot be trusted to monitor incoming aid.”
Another sensitive point is the absence of a condemnation or even mention of Hamas in the text, which was criticized by Israel and the United States. The text condemns “all acts of terrorism” as well as “all attacks against civilians,” and demands the “unconditional” release of all hostages.
The International Rescue Committee, a humanitarian non-governmental organization, said: “The Security Council’s failure to demand an immediate and sustainable ceasefire is unjustified.”
After the attack on October 7, which according to the Israeli authorities left about 1,140 people dead, most of them civilians, Israel pledged to “eliminate” Hamas, and began a continuous bombing campaign on the Gaza Strip, on which it also imposes an absolute siege and has carried out a large-scale ground operation for 27 days. October.
The Ministry of Health in the Hamas-ruled Gaza Strip announced on Friday that the toll from Israeli operations had risen to 20,057 dead, most of them women and children, and more than 50,000 wounded.
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2023-12-23 00:45:42
