UN Security Council vote on war between Israel and Hamas postponed
Votes on a resolution text planned for the past few days had been repeatedly postponed because the members of the Security Council were arguing about the wording. The aim of Thursday's deliberations was to ensure that the USA - one of Israel's most important allies - would not block the planned resolution with a veto.
According to AFP, the current draft calls for "urgent steps" towards "safe and unhindered" access for humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip. The text does not contain a call for an immediate cessation of hostilities. The original draft resolution had called for an "urgent and permanent cessation of hostilities".
"If the resolution is presented as it is, then we can support it," US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield told journalists. She rejected accusations that the text had been watered down: the draft was "a very strong resolution that is fully supported by the Arab group", the diplomat said.
According to the draft presented to AFP, the resolution introduced by the Emirates was amended in several key areas in order to reach a compromise. The current version now states "to allow and facilitate the use of all routes in and through the entire Gaza Strip, including border crossings, for the delivery of humanitarian assistance".
On December 8, the adoption of a UN resolution for an "immediate humanitarian ceasefire" was vetoed by the USA. The USA had justified its rejection on the grounds that a ceasefire would play into Hamas' hands. Israel wants to destroy the radical Islamic Palestinian organization.
On 7 October, hundreds of fighters from Hamas, which is classified as a terrorist organization by the EU and the USA, invaded Israeli towns and villages and committed atrocities against civilians. According to Israeli reports, around 1140 people were killed and around 250 people were taken hostage in the Gaza Strip.
In response, the Israeli army has since bombed targets in the Gaza Strip and launched a ground offensive. According to the Hamas-controlled Ministry of Health, which cannot be independently verified, at least 20,000 people have been killed so far.
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- The UN Security Council vote on the war between Israel and Hamas, which was planned for Thursday, was once again postponed due to disagreements among the council members about the resolution's wording.
- The aim was to ensure that the USA, one of Israel's key allies, would not use its veto power to block the resolution.
- AFP reported that the current draft of the resolution calls for "urgent steps" towards "safe and unhindered" access for humanitarian aid in the Gaza Strip.
- In the original draft, there was a call for an "urgent and permanent cessation of hostilities," but this was removed from the amended version presented by the United Arab Emirates.
- According to the Emirates' revised resolution, humanitarian assistance should be able to use all routes in and through the entire Gaza Strip, including border crossings.
- On December 8, a UN resolution calling for an "immediate humanitarian ceasefire" was vetoed by the USA, who argued that a ceasefire would benefit Hamas, a radical Islamic Palestinian organization classified as such by both the EU and the USA.
- On October 7, Hamas fighters invaded Israeli towns and villages, committing atrocities against civilians, according to Israeli reports.
- The circle of diplomats is now urgently trying to find a compromise to end the conflict and prevent further loss of life in the Gaza Strip.
Source: www.stern.de
