IRIA News

The United Nations Security Council has passed a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas in Gaza, along with the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages. The United States refrained from voting on the resolution.

14 of the 15 United Nations Security Council members voted in favor of the immediate ceasefire in Gaza. The United States, which had previously vetoed the ceasefire resolutions, abstained from voting resulting in the passing of the resolution this time.

“This resolution must be implemented. Failure would be unforgivable,” UN chief Antonio Guterres said on Twitter shortly after the resolution was passed.

The text of the resolution, prepared by 10 security council member states, calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza during the holy month of Ramadan and does not make any preconditions such as the release of hostages.

In favour: 14
Against: 0
Abstention: 1

The UN Security Council has adopted a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and the immediate, unconditional release of all hostages.https://t.co/nOBuQOkxnj pic.twitter.com/QkZ7J7wHgi

— United Nations (@UN) March 25, 2024

Earlier on March 22, the United Nations Security Council was unable to pass a similar but conditional resolution proposed by the United States, as Algeria, China, and Russia opposed the motion.

In a statement issued after the voting on Monday, the White House expressed that the final resolution lacked language deemed essential by the United States, emphasizing that the vote does not signify a policy change.

U.S. Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield attributed the delay in passing a ceasefire resolution to Hamas. “We didn’t fully support all aspects of the resolution,” she stated, explaining the reason behind the U.S. abstention.

“Certain key edits were ignored, including our request to add a condemnation of Hamas,” Thomas-Greenfield said. She also stated that the U.S.’s resolution for the ceasefire was conditioned on the release of the hostages as it would help the increase in humanitarian aid in the besieged coastal enclave.

Mounting pressure for ceasefire

Last week, the U.S. ended its decades-long unconditional support for Israel by presenting a draft resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in the conflict, conditioned with the release of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza.

The Biden Administration has been under increasing pressure to urge Israel to change its course. Over 30,000 Palestinian civilians in Gaza have lost their lives due to the Israeli government’s military campaign, which was initiated in response to the October 7 attack by Hamas, resulting in nearly 1,200 casualties in Israel.

The resolution drafted by the U.S. last week was meant to send a very public message to Netanyahu’s government that the Biden Administration opposes the way Israel is conducting the war in Gaza. With the U.S. abstaining and not vetoing the current regulation, the message has been made more evident.

US stance of “clear retreat”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office asserted that the U.S. decision not to veto the resolution represents a “clear retreat” from its previous stance. A statement expressed concern that this move could undermine efforts against Hamas in the ongoing conflict and hinder attempts to secure the release of over 130 hostages.

Additionally, officials said that Tel Aviv would not send its high-ranking delegation to Washington due to the altered stance of the United States.

President Joe Biden was set to meet with high-ranking Israeli officials to address Israel’s proposals concerning a potential ground invasion of Rafah in southern Gaza, where over 1 million internally displaced Palestinians are seeking shelter.

White House spokesperson John Kirby said the U.S. was “disappointed” by Israel’s decision. “We’re very disappointed that they won’t be coming to Washington, DC, to allow us to have a fulsome conversation with them about viable alternatives to them going in on the ground in Rafah,” Kirby told reporters.

Israel blocking humanitarian aid in Gaza

Separately on March 25, the United Nations official social media account posted that Israel is blocking the UN Agency for Palestine Refugees (UNRWA) workers from delivering aid in northern Gaza and urged the Israelis to allow humanitarian aid to prevent famine.

Commissioner-General of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, Philippe Lazzarini posted on X (formerly known as Twitter) on March 24, “As of today, UNRWA, the main lifeline for Palestine refugees, is denied from providing lifesaving assistance to northern Gaza.” He urged that the restrictions must be immediately lifted.

Israel’s decision to block @UNRWA food convoys from delivering aid in northern Gaza only pushes desperate people there closer to famine, warns @UNReliefChief.

“It must be revoked.”https://t.co/ksjB7McWZF

— United Nations (@UN) March 25, 2024

The UNRWA commissioner-general called the decision “outrageous”, and said that Israel made this decision to “intentionally obstruct lifesaving aid deliveries during a man-made famine” in the northern part of the Gaza Strip.

World Health Organization chief Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus also slammed Israel’s decision and said, “Blocking UNRWA from delivering food is in fact denying starving people the ability to survive… This decision must be urgently reversed” He added that “The levels of hunger are acute. All efforts to deliver food should not only be permitted but there should be an immediate acceleration of food deliveries.”

UNRWA is the largest organization with the highest reach to displaced communities in Gaza. It supports about 5.9 million Palestinian refugees in its five areas of operations: Gaza and the West Bank, including East Jerusalem, Jordan, Lebanon, and Syria.

Last week the United States passed the foreign aid spending bill for 2024 limiting its funding to the UN agency until March 2025. According to the UN release, UNRWA’s Commissioner-General Lazzarini, “There will be widespread consequences for Palestine refugees in Gaza and the region” following the newly passed U.S. foreign aid spending bill for 2024.

Lazzarini added that “Palestine refugees are counting on the international community to increase its support to meet their basic needs”.