The vote comes a day after the United States tabled a draft resolution on the need for a cease-fire that was vetoed by Russia and China and opposed by Arab states that said the text was not clear enough about pressure on Israel.
A vote on the new resolution, led in part by Algeria, the current Arab state in the 15-member Security Council, is expected to take place at 10 a.m. morning local time (16:00 Lithuanian time), three diplomats said.
The draft resolution, seen by AFP news agency, “calls for an immediate ceasefire” during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan in order to establish a “permanent and sustainable ceasefire” to be respected by all parties.
It also called for the “immediate and unconditional” release of hostages taken in the October 7 attack by Hamas and for the provision of humanitarian aid to the war-torn Gaza Strip.
Among the co-authors of the resolution are three European countries – Malta, Slovenia and Switzerland, as well as Mozambique, Guyana and Sierra Leone.
Earlier on Friday, Russia and China vetoed a United States-sponsored draft resolution at the United Nations Security Council on a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, with Moscow accusing Washington of a “hypocritical performance” by not putting pressure on Israel.
Washington, Israel’s main ally, which has vetoed previous calls for a ceasefire, had proposed a resolution that would have endorsed for the first time “the need for an immediate and lasting ceasefire” and condemned the October 7 attack by the Islamist group Hamas.
The draft linked the ceasefire to ongoing talks led by Qatar, backed by the United States and Egypt, for a ceasefire in exchange for the release of hostages taken by Hamas.
However, Russia and China used their veto power, Algeria also voted against, and Guyana abstained. The other 11 members of the Security Council, including permanent members France and the United Kingdom, voted in favor.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken (Antonis Blinken) called the decision of Russia and China to veto the draft resolution of the United Nations Security Council initiated by the United States on the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip cynical.
Meanwhile, Washington’s ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield (Linda Tomas Greenfield) called Russia and China’s veto not only cynical, but also petty behavior.
“Russia and China simply did not want to vote for a resolution drafted by the United States,” she said.
“Let’s be honest – despite the fiery rhetoric, we all know that Russia and China are doing nothing through diplomatic means to ensure lasting peace or contribute significantly to the humanitarian response,” she said.
For his part, Russian Ambassador Vasily Nebenzia said the US was doing nothing to rein in Israel and mocked Washington for talking about a ceasefire when “the Gaza Strip is practically wiped off the face of the earth”.
“We were watching a typical hypocritical performance,” he said. – The American product is extremely politicized, and its only purpose is to please the voters and throw them a bone by somehow mentioning the ceasefire in Gaza [Ruože].“
The resolution “will ensure impunity for Israel, whose crimes are not even assessed in the draft,” he said.
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2024-04-01 23:47:55