UNITED NATIONS: The United Nations Security Council approved on Friday (Dec 22) a watered-down resolution that demands all sides in the Israel-Hamas conflict allow the “safe and unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance at scale”.
After days of delays, the resolution also called for the creation of “conditions for a sustainable cessation of hostilities” but did not call for an immediate end to fighting.
Russia and the United States, which both could have vetoed the measure as permanent members of the council, abstained, meaning it passed with 13 votes in favour.
Nonetheless, US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield called the resolution “a strong step forward”.
“This council provided a glimmer of hope among a sea of suffering,” she said.
UN chief Antonio Guterres said in the wake of the vote that Israel’s offensive was the “real problem” and that the country is “creating massive obstacles to the distribution of humanitarian aid” as he reiterated his call for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire.
Palestinian militant group Hamas said the resolution was “insufficient” and “does not respond to the catastrophic situation created by the Zionist (Israeli) war machine”.
The Palestinian ambassador to the UN Riyad Mansour said using humanitarian aid “as a method of war has to end now”.
“You need to stop the killer to save the patient,” he said, calling the resolution a “step in the right direction”.
Diplomatic wrangling at United Nations headquarters in Manhattan – causing the vote to be postponed several times this week – has come against the backdrop of deteriorating conditions in Gaza and a mounting death toll.
Russian ambassador to the UN Vasily Nebenzya condemned the United States for “blocking an extremely weak call for cessation of hostilities.”
“If this document weren’t supported by a number of Arab states we would of course have vetoed it,” he said.
Source: CNA
