The UN Security Council (UNSC) on Thursday will once again attempt to pass a resolution calling for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas after previous efforts to win Washington’s support fell short. The council had initially been due to vote on Monday, Tuesday and then Wednesday.
This diplomatic discord at the UN comes in the wake of deteriorating conditions in Gaza and a mounting death toll. The United Arab Emirates is sponsoring a draft resolution on the conflict which has already been watered down to secure compromise. It calls for “the urgent suspension of hostilities to allow safe and unhindered humanitarian access, and for urgent steps towards a sustainable cessation of hostilities,” according to a draft version seen by AFP.
‘Diplomacy takes time’
Countries “are engaging at the highest level of diplomacy to reach a text that will have impact on the ground. Diplomacy takes time,” said the UAE’s ambassador Lana Zaki Nusseibeh. “If this fails, then we will continue to keep trying… There is too much suffering on the ground for the council to continue to fail on this.”
Members of the 15-member council have been grappling for days to find common ground on the resolution. Israel, backed by its ally the United States, a veto-wielding member, has opposed the term “ceasefire,” and Washington has used its veto twice to foil resolutions opposed by Israel. The latest delay was again at the request of the United States, according to news agencies.
What’s the Hold-Up?
The latest delay hinges on negotiations between the US and Egypt over a proposal for UN aid monitoring as Washington seeks to avoid using its veto power, diplomats told Reuters. Israel inspects all humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza via the Rafah crossing from Egypt, but a Security Council resolution – drafted by the United Arab Emirates and backed by Egypt – essentially aims to water down Israel’s control.
More than a week into the negotiations, the US is reportedly unhappy that the draft asks UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to establish a UN mechanism in Gaza “to exclusively monitor all humanitarian relief consignments to Gaza provided through land, sea and air routes of those States that are not parties to the conflict.”
UN Weighs In
The spokesperson for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said it is “not for us to interfere with those discussions, which I understand are fairly intense.” “The secretary-general’s own position is unchanged — he’s been calling for a humanitarian ceasefire,” said the spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric.
Earlier this month the 193-member UN. General Assembly demanded a humanitarian ceasefire, with 153 states voting in favor of the move that the US had vetoed in the Security Council days earlier. A week-long pause ended on December 1 after some hostages from Gaza and some Palestinians were freed from Israeli jails and there was an increase in aid to Gaza.
(With inputs from agencies)
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