UN Security Council vote on Gaza resolution delayed as US asks for more time

Text underlines critical importance of stopping hostilities to allow for delivery of humanitarian aid, UAE ambassador to UN tells The National

Pro-Palestine protesters demonstrate outside UN headquarters in New York. AFP

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A vote on a UN Security Council resolution calling for a halt to hostilities to enable the entry of critical assistance to civilians in the Gaza Strip was postponed again on Tuesday, as member states wrangled over wording while aid efforts in the enclave neared collapse.

The vote was first postponed from Monday to Tuesday and has pushed back again until Wednesday.

“We’re still working through the modalities of the resolution,” US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said on Tuesday afternoon.

“It's important for us that the rest of the world understand what’s at stake here and what Hamas did on the 7th of October and how Israel has a right to defend itself against those threats.”

The vote was cancelled as the US asked for more time.

Negotiations were ongoing in an effort to get US President Joe Biden's administration to abstain or vote in favour of the resolution.

The UAE’s draft resolution calls for the urgent suspension of hostilities to allow safe and unhindered humanitarian access to Gaza and for urgent steps towards a sustainable cessation of hostilities.

It requests that Israel and Hamas allow aid access to the Gaza Strip – via land, sea and air routes – and set up a UN monitoring mechanism to deliver humanitarian assistance.

The document also affirms support for a two-state solution and “stresses the importance of unifying the Gaza Strip with the West Bank under the Palestinian Authority”.

The US on December 9 blocked a previous resolution that would have called for a “humanitarian ceasefire” in the Palestinian enclave, where Israel continues its bombardment in retaliation for an attack by Hamas on October 7.

The latest resolution, drafted by the UAE, was introduced by Arab states after a recent vote in the General Assembly, in which the UN's 193 members called overwhelmingly for a ceasefire, with 153 in favour, 10 against and 23 abstentions.

Historically, the United States has consistently been a major supporter of Israel, both militarily and diplomatically.

According to UN diplomats, negotiations were ongoing as delegates are working to avoid another impasse.

Seen by The National, the draft calls “for the urgent suspension of hostilities to allow safe and unhindered humanitarian access, and for urgent steps towards a sustainable cessation of hostilities.”

It requests that Israel and Hamas allow aid access to the Gaza Strip – via land, sea and air routes – and set up a UN monitoring mechanism in the Gaza Strip to deliver humanitarian aid.

The document also affirms support for a two-state solution and “stresses the importance of unifying the Gaza Strip with the West Bank under the Palestinian Authority”.

UN Security Council envoys visit Gaza border to demand ceasefire – video

“Every single day, innocent people in Gaza are struggling desperately for want of food, water, medicine and fuel. Members of the UN Security Council have seen the consequences of this humanitarian catastrophe first-hand and the need for more aid could not be clearer,” Lana Nusseibeh, the UAE’s ambassador to the UN, told The National.

“This council resolution responds to that need by opening border crossings, the transport of aid by land, sea and air, and a UN-led mechanism that would streamline inspection, monitoring and approvals.”

Ms Nusseibeh added that it underlines the critical importance of stopping hostilities to allow for the delivery of humanitarian aid and that the UAE will continue to aggressively pursue that goal.

The Security Council has passed only one resolution on Gaza since the war began, which called for “humanitarian pauses” in the fighting, after failing to approve five others, two of which were vetoed by the US.

Security Council resolutions are legally binding for all member states, yet the countries concerned often choose not to comply with them.

Mary Robinson, former president of Ireland and chairwoman of The Elders – a group of independent global leaders working together for peace, justice and human rights – said in a statement that the US cannot afford to be further isolated by vetoing this resolution.

“President [Joe] Biden’s continuing support for Israel’s actions is also making the world less safe, the Security Council less effective, and US leadership less respected. It is time to stop the killing,” she said.