The UN Security Council adopted, this Monday, March 25, its first resolution for an “immediate ceasefire” in Gaza, more than four months after the start of the conflict between Israel and Hamas, following the terrorist attack on March 7. October.
UN Secretary General Antonio Guterres welcomed this “long-awaited” vote in a message shared on X:
“The Security Council has just passed a long-awaited resolution on Gaza, demanding an immediate ceasefire and the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages. This resolution must be implemented. Failure would be unforgivable.”
The resolution adopted amidst applause by 14 votes in favor and one abstention, “demands an immediate ceasefire during the month of Ramadan” – which already began two weeks ago -, which should “lead to a ceasefire – lasting fire” – and “demands the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.”
Unlike the American text rejected on Friday by Russian and Chinese vetoes, it does not link these requests to the diplomatic efforts of Qatar, the United States and Egypt, although it “recognizes” the existence of these talks aimed at a truce accompanied by an exchange. of Palestinian hostages and prisoners.
Evolution of the American position
On Friday, Russia and China vetoed a US draft resolution that stressed the “need” for an “immediate ceasefire” in Gaza in connection with negotiations for the release of hostages captured during the bloody and unprecedented Hamas attack on October 7 on Israeli soil.
Some observers saw this as a substantial evolution in Washington’s position, under pressure to limit its support for Israel as the Israeli offensive has left more than 32,000 dead in Gaza, according to the Hamas Health Ministry.
Until then, the United States had systematically opposed the term “ceasefire” in UN resolutions, blocking three texts in that sense.
But the rejected American text did not explicitly call for an immediate ceasefire, using wording considered ambiguous by Arab countries, China and Russia, which denounced the “hypocritical spectacle” of the United States.
The resolution adopted on Monday is the result of the work of the non-permanent members of the Council, who negotiated throughout the weekend with the United States to try to avoid another failure, according to diplomatic sources. The resolution also calls for the “removal of all obstacles” to humanitarian aid.
No condemnation of Hamas
The Council, which has been very divided for years on the Palestinian-Israeli issue, had until then only been able to adopt, since 7 October, on this issue only two resolutions (of the eight put to the vote), of an essentially humanitarian nature. Without much results: after five and a half months of war, the entry of aid into the besieged Gaza remains largely insufficient and famine looms.
The new resolution also condemns “all terrorist acts”, but without mentioning the Hamas attacks on October 7 that left at least 1,160 people dead, most of them civilians, according to an AFP count based on official Israeli data. .
No resolution adopted by the UN Council or General Assembly since October 7 has specifically condemned Hamas, an absence consistently punished by Israel.
Source: BFM TV
