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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Source: www.stern.de
