The United Nations Security Council, which remains deeply divided over the Israeli-Palestinian issue, postponed until later today a vote on a new draft resolution calling for an end to hostilities in the Gaza Strip to allow humanitarian aid to be distributed to the civilian population.

The United Arab Emirates — the country that drafted this text — asked that the vote scheduled for yesterday Monday at 5:00 p.m. (New York time; midnight Greek time) be postponed so that the complex negotiations could continue. The procedure is expected to be rescheduled, possibly within the day, according to diplomatic sources.

On December 8, despite unprecedented pressure from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres, the US blocked the UN’s adoption of a resolution calling for an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire” in the Gaza Strip, where Israel’s military continues his killing blows in retaliation for the unprecedented attack by Hamas’s armed wing on October 7.

Last week, the UN General Assembly adopted practically the same text with 153 votes in favor, 10 against and 23 abstentions out of a total of 193 member states. The decision of the General Assembly, however, is not considered legally binding.

After this result, Arab countries announced a new effort at the Security Council, but with an outcome still uncertain.

The new draft resolution, drafted by the United Arab Emirates and obtained by AFP, calls for an “urgent and permanent cessation of hostilities to allow unimpeded humanitarian access to the Gaza Strip.”

In particular, it demands that the warring parties facilitate the entry and distribution of humanitarian aid throughout the Gaza Strip, “by land, sea and air.”

However, diplomatic sources pointed out yesterday that a new text was being drafted.

“In the blind”

Like the previous text, the one eventually adopted by the General Assembly, the plan does not name Hamas — an omission that angers Israel and the US. It condemns “all attacks carried out indiscriminately against civilians”, “all acts of terrorism”, and calls for the hostages to be released.

Since the outbreak of the war between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, the SA has been heavily criticized, as it was only in mid-November that it managed to adopt a resolution calling for “humanitarian pauses”. Five draft resolutions were rejected, two due to US vetoes.

However, US President Joe Biden warned a few days ago that Israel is in danger of losing the support of the international community because of the “indiscriminate” bombing it is launching in the Gaza Strip.

“The US must back up words with action at the Security Council to pressure Israel and Palestinian armed organizations to abide by international humanitarian law and protect civilians,” commented Louis Charbonneau of Human Rights Watch, calling on Americans to “not use their veto to block decisions to end mass atrocities.”

Asked about the possibility of the Americans abstaining in the SA to allow a text to pass, the State Department spokesman, Matthew Miller, said yesterday Monday that he did not want to make “assumptions”.

“We are in the middle of a negotiation process,” he explained.

Although Security Council decisions are legally binding, the countries concerned often defy them.

“Cease fire now”

Following the unprecedented October 7 attack by Hamas’ military wing in southern areas of Israeli territory that killed some 1,140 people, most of them civilians, according to authorities, Israel, whose civilian-military leadership vows to “eliminate” Hamas, in power in the Gaza Strip, pounded the enclave and began large-scale ground operations on October 27.

The Hamas Health Ministry announced yesterday that 19,453 people, mostly women, children and teenagers, have been killed in Israel’s military operations in the Gaza Strip.

“In the face of such atrocities, there is only one position that is moral, only one position that can be defended: a ceasefire now,” Palestinian ambassador to the United Nations Riyad Mansour said Friday, addressing the General Assembly.

“Calling for a ceasefire now while (hostages) are still being held is the most immoral thing,” countered his Israeli counterpart Gilad Erdan.

In order for any draft decision to be adopted by the SA, nine votes in favor are required and no veto is exercised by any of its five permanent member states that have the right of veto (USA, Russia, China, France, Britain).

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