The United Nations Security Council on Friday a resolution adopted, calling for the “immediate and unhindered” delivery of more humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip and “the creation of conditions for a lasting cessation of hostilities.” The text had been negotiated for almost two weeks.
Earlier there was a call for “an early and lasting cessation of hostilities” and a condemnation of attacking civilian targets, but the United States, as a loyal ally of Israel, threatened to veto this. The US is against a quick ceasefire in Gaza because it believes Hamas could benefit from it.
The United States, like Russia, now abstained from voting on the watered-down resolution. The remaining thirteen of the fifteen permanent and temporary members of the Security Council agreed.
The UN General Assembly adopted a resolution earlier this month calling for “a humanitarian pause in fighting”, but Israel did not respond. The US then voted against this and the Netherlands abstained. The latter received a lot of criticism from various political parties.
Unlike resolutions of the General Assembly, resolutions of the Security Council are binding. Still, the question remains whether Israel will adhere to the resolution adopted on Friday.
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UN Security Council calls for ‘creating conditions for an end to hostilities in Gaza’