UN Security Council passes resolution on Gaza ceasefire

Photo Courtesy: Wikimedia Commons

This Monday, the UN Security Council voted in favour of demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. 14 members of the Council voted in favour, and the US abstained, demanding a release of hostages by Hamas. However, unlike in previous votes, the US did not insist on the ceasefire to be dependent on the release of hostages.

This is the first ceasefire vote that has passed since the 7th of October attacks. It demands a temporary ceasefire during Ramadan, adding that this should eventually become “lasting”. To Russian objections, this was an amendment added by the US to change the original wording from “permanent”. 

The resolution is non-binding, but is nevertheless an expression of the international community’s will and marks a turning point in this stage of the conflict.

On Friday 22 March, the United Nations Security Council had turned down a resolution proposed by the US calling for an immediate ceasefire and a hostage deal between Israel and Hamas. Whilst eleven out of fifteen council members voted in favour, Russia and China’s vetoes (as permanent Security Council members) stopped the resolution from passing. Algeria also voted against it and Guyana abstained. The measure requested for the ceasefire to last for approximately six weeks and that it would allow for humanitarian assistance and civilian protection.

The US ambassador to the UN told the Security Council that Russia and China’s behaviour was “petty”, and believed that it was vetoed simply because it was brought forward by the US. She also criticised them for failing to condemn the 7th of October Hamas attacks on Israel, stating that this was the motivating factor for their opposition. 

However, in previous attempts to pass ceasefire resolutions, the US has steered clear. In fact, this was the first time the Biden administration HAD supported a text containing the word ‘ceasefire’. Before the vote, the Russian envoy to the UN noted that the US had used its veto 3 times already on Gaza ceasefire resolutions. 

Humanitarian conditions in Gaza have reached a critical level with over 32,000 Palestinians killed by Israeli forces in the conflict. Over 90% of Gaza’s population has now been displaced, mostly women and children. As such, the UN Security-General has said that any failure to implement the resolution “would be unforgivable”.