After five months of war between Hamas and Israel, the UN Security Council managed to reach an agreement and adopted this Monday, March 25, a resolution demanding an “immediate ceasefire in Gaza during the month of Ramadan” that should lead to a “durable ceasefire”. ” and the “immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.”
Resolution adopted with 14 votes in favor and the abstention of the United States. If its adoption was welcomed by many members of the international organization and by Hamas, its application is no less uncertain.
Sanctions subject to Council vote
Members of the international organization are obliged to “accept and implement the decisions of the Security Council” in accordance with Article 25 of the United Nations Charter.
But if a state refuses to comply, the Council has few means to force it to do so, recalls the New York Times. It can take punitive measures, but these must be voted on again and can therefore be vetoed by one of the permanent members of the Security Council. The American newspaper mentions in particular the case of Israel, which violates a resolution adopted in 2016 that asked it to stop the expansion of its colonies in the West Bank.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres welcomed the resolution adopted on Monday and called for it to be “implemented.” “A failure would be unforgivable,” he said.
The same reaction from the French Minister of Foreign Affairs, Stéphane Séjourné, who asked X for a “fully implemented” decision.
Hamas itself welcomed the resolution and expressed its “willingness to begin an exchange process” of prisoners and hostages “immediately.”
“Hamas welcomes the call of the United Nations Security Council for an immediate ceasefire,” the Palestinian Islamist movement reacted in a statement, assuring its desire “to achieve a permanent ceasefire that entails the withdrawal of all Israeli forces from the territory”.
“We do not have the moral right to stop war”
But Israel quickly dashed international hopes for a cessation of hostilities. “We do not have the moral right to stop the war while there are hostages in Gaza,” warned Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, visiting the United States.
The Israeli Prime Minister’s office also harshly criticized the position of its American allies and spoke of “a clear retreat from the consistent position of the United States,” which until then had consistently opposed the term “ceasefire” in resolutions. the ONU. blocking three texts in this sense.
Shortly after the vote, the White House debunked accusations of “changing course.” At the UN, the US ambassador insisted that a ceasefire in Gaza could only begin “with the release of a first hostage.”
Source: BFM TV
