2024-03-23 16:14:45
The Palestine Mission to the United Nations reported, on Saturday, that the UN Security Council is scheduled to vote, Monday, on a new draft resolution for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, presented by the elected members of the Council, in an attempt to avoid another failure after Russia and China used their veto power. Against an American draft resolution.
The Palestinian mission stated in its account on the “X” platform: “The matter has been confirmed… The (new) draft resolution will be voted on next Monday morning.”
The Permanent Observer of the State of Palestine to the United Nations, Riyad Mansour, said that the draft resolution essentially calls for an immediate ceasefire during the month of Ramadan, “which we support because we want to save the lives of the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip.”
The Palestinian diplomat added that the draft resolution enjoys the support of the Arab group.
Diplomatic sources reported that this postponement was decided to allow further discussions on the draft alternative resolution, which was prepared by a number of non-permanent members of the Council.
An alternative draft resolution was scheduled to be put to a vote, sponsored by 8 non-permanent members of the Council (Algeria, Malta, Mozambique, Guyana, Slovenia, Sierra Leone, Switzerland and Ecuador) after the Russian and Chinese “veto” against the American draft resolution.
On Friday, the Security Council failed to issue a draft resolution proposed by the United States demanding “the utmost necessity of reaching an immediate and sustainable ceasefire in Gaza,” after Russia and China, the two permanent members of the Council, used their veto against it.
The result of voting on the draft resolution was that 11 countries supported it, 3 others objected, namely Russia, China and Algeria, and a Council member abstained from voting.
The Security Council failed to issue a draft resolution proposed by Washington stressing “the utmost necessity of reaching an immediate and sustainable ceasefire in Gaza,” after Russia and China used their “veto” against it.
The US representative to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said, “The double veto is not only malicious, but also ridiculous.”
She added: “Russia and China simply do not want to vote in favor of a resolution drafted by the United States. They would rather see the United States fail at the expense of the Council achieving success.”
In turn, the Russian delegate to the Security Council, Vasily Nebenzia, said that the United States “is not making any efforts to restrain Israel,” mocking Washington for talking about a ceasefire after “Gaza was effectively wiped off the face of the earth.”
Text of the American decision
The 26-paragraph US decision document, which Al-Sharq reviewed, stipulates “the inevitability of an immediate and sustainable ceasefire to protect civilians from all parties, allow the delivery of basic humanitarian aid, and alleviate human suffering.” It also categorically supports “the ongoing international diplomatic efforts to ensure… The ceasefire is linked to the release of all remaining detainees.”
The resolution also included an emphasis on “full support for exploiting the opportunity provided by any ceasefire to intensify diplomatic and other efforts aimed at creating conditions for a cessation of hostilities and lasting peace as required in Resolution 2720.”
Resolution 2720, adopted by the Security Council last December, calls for “urgent steps to be taken to allow the immediate, safe and unhindered delivery of humanitarian aid” and to “create the necessary conditions for a sustainable cessation of hostilities.”
The upcoming US draft resolution stresses “the urgent need to expand the flow of humanitarian aid to civilians in the entire Gaza Strip,” and reiterates its demand to “lift all barriers that prevent the provision of humanitarian assistance on a large scale.”
The resolution also affirmed “a firm commitment to the vision of a solution based on the existence of two democratic states, Israel and Palestine, living side by side in peace within secure and recognized borders, in accordance with international law and relevant United Nations resolutions.”
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