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The UN Security Council is preparing to vote on another ceasefire resolution, this time submitted with Arab support
A new draft resolution on the armed conflict in the Gaza Strip may be submitted to the UN Security Council (SC) on Monday, after the five permanent and ten non-permanent member states failed to accept the US proposal on the cease-fire on Friday due to Russian and Chinese vetoes Israel and the Palestinian extremist organization Hamas between. The new document calls for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire for the period of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan, at the initiative of the ten temporary members, with the support of Russia and China.
On Friday, the group of 22 countries representing the Arab member states of the United Nations asked the 15 members of the Security Council for unity and described the adoption of the proposed resolution as urgent, stating that they are long overdue regarding the resolution on the ceasefire. They also hinted that the month of Ramadan will last until April 9. According to diplomatic sources, the new resolution proposal was already voted on on Saturday, but was postponed that day.
The United States, however, warned that the new proposal could jeopardize talks supported by American diplomacy on an agreement that would tie the ceasefire to the release of hostages held by Hamas. According to Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US ambassador to the UN, the new document gives Hamas an excuse to leave the negotiating table during the negotiations on the cease-fire.
On Friday, a draft resolution drafted and put forward by the United States was vetoed by Russia and China, citing that it did not include a call for an immediate end to the fighting.
The United States has previously vetoed the vote on the proposed resolution on the situation in the Middle East three times in the SC, most recently in February, when the document developed by the Arab UN member states was voted in by 13 SC members, with one abstention and the American veto. Since the outbreak of fighting between Israel and Hamas, the Security Council has managed to pass two resolutions on the management of the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, but not on a ceasefire. The Security Council is the only UN organization whose decisions are legally binding. (MTI)
