The new draft, drawn up by UAE, calls for an “urgent and sustainable cessation of hostilities to allow safe and unhindered humanitarian access in Gaza Strip”…reports Asian Lite News
The United Nations Security Council will vote Monday on a new resolution calling for an “urgent and sustainable cessation of hostilities” in Gaza, as Washington exhibits growing impatience with key ally Israel.
The vote comes days after the United States blocked a previous Security Council resolution that would have called for a “humanitarian ceasefire” in the battered Palestinian territory, where Israel continues its deadly strikes in retaliation for Hamas’s unprecedented attack on October 7.
But in the General Assembly, the UN’s 193 members voted overwhelmingly for a ceasefire, with 153 in favor — exceeding the 140 or so countries that have routinely backed resolutions condemning Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.
The upcoming Security Council resolution was introduced by Arab countries that had come away from last Tuesday’s General Assembly vote bolstered by such broad international support, though the latest text’s fate remains uncertain.
The new draft, drawn up by the United Arab Emirates, calls for an “urgent and sustainable cessation of hostilities to allow safe and unhindered humanitarian access in the Gaza Strip.”
It also affirms support for a two-state solution in the region and “stresses the importance of unifying the Gaza Strip with the West Bank under the Palestinian Authority.”
In a move criticized by Israel and the United States, the draft does not explicitly name Hamas, though it does call for the “immediate and unconditional release of all hostages” and condemns “all indiscriminate attacks against civilians.”
The Security Council has faced sharp international opprobrium as it has managed to pass only one resolution on Gaza since the start of the war, in which the 15-member body called for “humanitarian pauses” — after five other resolutions were rejected, including two thanks to American vetoes.
According to diplomatic sources, negotiations on the new text continued Sunday in an effort to avoid another impasse, days after US President Joe Biden warned that Israel was at risk of losing international support due to its “indiscriminate” bombing of Gaza.
“The United States should now back those words by acting at the United Nations Security Council to pressure Israel, as well as Palestinian armed groups, to comply with international humanitarian law and protect civilians,” Louis Charbonneau, the UN director at Human Rights Watch said, telling Washington: “Don’t use vetoes to block resolutions aimed at stopping mass atrocities.”
Security Council resolutions are technically binding, but are often ignored by the countries involved.
According to Gaza’s Hamas-run health ministry, some 18,800 people, mostly civilians and children, have died since Israeli bombardment began in Gaza in retaliation for Hamas’s October 7 attack, which Israel said left 1,139 people dead, also mostly civilians, and saw some 250 people kidnapped.
“In the face of such atrocities, there is only one moral position, one defensible position: Ceasefire now, ceasefire now, ceasefire now,” Palestinian UN Ambassador Riyad Mansour said Friday.
But his Israel counterpart Gilad Erdan countered: “Calling for a ceasefire now, while (hostages) are still being held, is the most immoral thing to do.”
Israeli forces uncover biggest Hamas tunnel
Amid the ongoing tensions, a massive tunnel system was discovered by the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) on Sunday, which the IDF claimed to be Hamas’ biggest tunnel system, the construction of which was led by Mohammad Sinwar, brother of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar.
It is pertinent to note that the tunnel has a length of over four kilometers (2.5 miles), and is located only 400 meters from the Erez Crossing, said the IDF.
In a post on X, IDF also said that Gazans used the giant tunnel on a daily basis to enter Israel for work and medical treatment in Israeli hospitals.
“EXPOSED: The biggest Hamas tunnel discovered. This massive tunnel system branches out and spans well over four kilometers (2.5 miles). Its entrance is located only 400 meters (1,310 feet) from the Erez Crossing–used by Gazans on a daily basis to enter Israel for work and medical treatment in Israeli hospitals,” read IDF’s latest post on X.
“This tunnel system was a project led by Mohammad Sinwar, the brother of Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, and the commander of Hamas’ Khan Yunis Battalion,” it added.
The conflict in Gaza escalated after the October 7 attack by Hamas, where about 2,500 breached the border into Israel from the Gaza Strip, leading to casualties and the seizure of hostages.
Israel has characterised its Gaza offensive as targeting Hamas’ infrastructure with the goal of eliminating the entire terror group while making efforts to minimize civilian casualties.
Meanwhile, the IDF said it has carried out strikes against some 200 Hamas sites in the Gaza Strip over the past day, according to The Times of Israel.
It said that the Paratroopers Brigade raided several apartments used by Hamas in Shejaiya and found firearms, explosive devices, and other military equipment. The IDF said the troops discovered a 15-meter-long tunnel, which was later destroyed in an airstrike.
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