UN SECURITY COUNCIL PASSES GAZA CEASE-FIRE RESOLUTION; NETANYAHU CANCELS AIDES’ DC TRIP

The United Nations Security Council has demanded an immediate ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas in Gaza and the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages as the United States abstained from the vote.

The remaining 14 council members voted for the resolution on Monday.

Speaking after the vote, US ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield blamed Hamas for the delay in passing a ceasefire resolution.

“We did not agree with everything with the resolution,” which she says is the reason why the US abstained.

“Certain key edits were ignored, including our request to add a condemnation of Hamas,” Thomas-Greenfield said. She stressed that the release of captives will lead to the increase in humanitarian aid in the besieged coastal enclave.

UN chief Antonio Guterres said in a post on X: “This resolution must be implemented. Failure would be unforgivable.”

In a statement following the vote, the White House said the final resolution did not have language the US deems essential, and the vote does not represent a shift in policy.

US Representative to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield abstains, during a vote on a Gaza resolution that demands an immediate ceasefire for the month of Ramadan [Andrew Kelly/Reuters]

But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said the US failure to veto the resolution is a “clear retreat” from its previous position, and would hurt war efforts against Hamas as well as efforts to release over 130 hostages.

His office also said Netanyahu will not be sending a high-level delegation to Washington in light of the new US position.

US President Joe Biden had requested to meet Israeli officials to discuss Israeli plans for a ground invasion of Rafah in southern Gaza, where more than 1 million internally displaced Palestinians are sheltering.

‘Crisis not over’

Al Jazeera’s diplomatic editor James Bays said this is still a “very, very significant” development.

“After almost six months … the vote, almost unanimous,” has demanded a lasting and immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

“The US has used its veto three times,” Bays said. “This time, the US let this pass”.

“Resolutions of the Security Council are international law, they are always seen as binding on all the member states of the United Nations,” he added.

The vote came amid international calls to bring the months-long conflict to an end, as Israeli forces pummel Gaza with one of the most destructive campaigns, and humanitarian conditions in the besieged strip reach critical levels.

More than 90 percent of Gaza’s 2.3 million residents have been displaced, and conditions under total Israeli siege and bombardment have pushed Gaza to the brink of famine, the UN has said.

More than 32,000 Palestinians have been killed since October 7, mostly women and children, while the remaining population is experiencing catastrophic hunger.

In remarks following the vote, France urged work on a permanent ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

“This crisis is not over. Our council will have to remain mobilised and immediately get back to work. After Ramadan, which ends in two weeks, it will have to establish a permanent ceasefire,” said France’s UN representative, Nicolas de Riviere.

Palestinian leaders welcomed the results of the vote, saying it was a step in the right direction.

In a statement, the Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs called on UNSC member states to fulfill their legal responsibilities to implement the resolution immediately.

It also stressed the importance of intensifying efforts to achieve a permanent ceasefire that extends beyond Ramadan, secure the entry of aid, work on the release Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails, as well as the prevention of forced displacement.