The United Nations Security Council is set to vote on a United States-sponsored resolution on Friday (Mar 22) declaring that "an immediate and sustained ceasefire" in the Israel-Hamas War in Gaza is "imperative" to protect civilians and enable humanitarian aid to be delivered to over 2 million Palestinians, most of which crammed in the southern Gazan city of Rafah.
US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield expressed optimism that the new and tougher draft resolution would be approved by the 15-member council in a vote on Friday.
The Associated Press reported that the draft being put to a vote "determines the imperative of an immediate and sustained cease-fire," with no direct link to the release of hostages taken during Hamas's Oct. 7 attack on Israel, which was in the previous draft.
What made the newest draft unique was the provision to unequivocally support diplomatic efforts "to secure such a ceasefire in connection with the release of all remaining hostages."
However, Russian deputy UN ambassador Dmitry Polyansky said that the Kremlin would not be satisfied "with anything that doesn't call for an immediate ceasefire," saying that it was what US Secretary of State Antony Blinken was pressing for and what "everybody" wanted.
"What's an imperative?" Polyansky asked about the wording. "I have an imperative to give you $100, but ... it's only an imperative, not $100. So, somebody's fooling around, I think, (with the) international community."
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Deadlock in the Security Council
The UN Security Council had already adopted two resolutions on the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza, but both of them did not call for a ceasefire.
What made things worse is that the US, Russia, and China, as permanent members of the council, have used their veto powers to block resolutions about the matter.
The vote would take place as Blinken was on his sixth urgent mission to the Middle East since the Israel-Hamas War, discussing a deal for a ceasefire and hostage release, as well as a post-war scenario.
"This resolution is an opportunity for the Council to speak with one voice to support the diplomacy happening on the ground and pressure Hamas to accept the deal on the table," US Mission to the UN spokesperson Nate Evans said.
While the permanent members have been in a diplomatic back-and-forth, the 10 elected members of the Security Council have been drafting their own resolution, which would demand an immediate humanitarian ceasefire for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan to be "respected by all parties leading to a permanent sustainable ceasefire." It also demanded "the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages," as well as emphasizing the urgent need to protect civilians and deliver humanitarian aid throughout Gaza.
The US draft would express "deep concern about the threat of conflict-induced famine and epidemics presently facing the civilian population in Gaza as well as the number of undernourished people, and also that hunger in Gaza has reached catastrophic levels."
It also emphasized the "urgent need to expand the flow of humanitarian assistance to civilians in the entire Gaza Strip" and lift all barriers to getting aid to civilians "at scale."
"There is a desire to take action, no one want to procrastinate, so we hope that a decision can be made by tomorrow (Friday) evening," French Ambassador to the UN Nicolas de Rivière told reporters. "There are two options: Either the U.S. text is adopted and then we'll move to the next phase of this crisis management, or the text is not adopted and then the draft of the elected members will come to the table and put to the vote, and I hope it will be adopted."
