UN Security Council Resolution on Gaza Humanitarian Pause and Corridor

International

Thea Fathanah Arbar, CNBC Indonesia

News

Thursday, 16/11/2023 07:02 WIB

Photo: UN Security Council emergency meeting Friday (25/2/2022) discussed Russia and Ukraine. (REUTERS/CARLO ALLEGRI)

Jakarta, CNBC Indonesia – The UN Security Council (SC) has passed a resolution calling for an “urgent and extended humanitarian pause and corridor across the Gaza Strip” to allow aid deliveries and medical evacuations.

Launch Al Jazeerathe UNSC finally passed the resolution proposed by Malta after four failed attempts to respond to the Israel-Hamas war.

Ambassador Vanessa Frazier said the resolution also calls for a “corridor across the Gaza Strip for several days” to protect civilians, especially children.

They also asked for the unconditional release of prisoners held in Gaza.

This decision was adopted with 12 votes in favor, zero against and three abstentions. Russia, the United States and the United Kingdom were the countries that abstained.

However, the resolution did not mention a ceasefire. The resolution also makes no reference to the Palestinian group Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7, in which Israeli authorities said about 1,200 people were killed and about 240 were taken prisoner.

The statement also did not mention Israel’s retaliatory strikes and ground offensive in Gaza, which Health Ministry officials say has killed more than 11,300 Palestinians, two-thirds of whom are women and children.

The resolution lists fuel as one of the items that should be allowed to be shipped “without hindrance” and requires the UN Secretary General to provide a report on implementation at the next Security Council meeting on the Middle East.

Speaking ahead of a vote on his country’s draft resolution, Malta’s ambassador to the UN said the resolution “aims to ensure respite from the current nightmare in Gaza and provide hope to the families of all the victims”.

Last-minute amendments introduced by Russia called for an “immediate, durable and sustainable humanitarian ceasefire, leading to a cessation of hostilities”.

The amendment failed to gain the necessary support and only five of the 15 council members voted in favor. America voted against it.

Opposed by Israel and the US

Gilad Erdan, Israel’s ambassador to the UN, quickly responded that the resolution was “meaningless”, calling it “out of touch with reality”.

He asserted that Israel acted in accordance with international law in Gaza, a claim that has been rejected by some experts on the matter.

“It is a shame that the council is still unable to condemn or even mention the massacres carried out by Hamas [7 Oktober] and caused war in Gaza,” he wrote in X.

“This is shameful,” he added, saying that Hamas’ strategy was to “deliberately worsen the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and increase the number of Palestinian casualties in order to activate the UN and the Security Council in an effort to stop Israel.”

“That’s not going to happen,” he continued.

Previously, the US envoy to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, also criticized council members who according to her had still not condemned Hamas.

“I want to say that I am horrified that some members of this council still cannot condemn the barbaric terrorist attack that Hamas carried out against Israel on October 7,” he said. “What are they afraid of? There is no reason not to condemn this act of terror.”

(luc/luc)

2023-11-16 00:02:42
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