U.N. Security Council to Vote on Ceasefire Resolution for Gaza, U.S. Expected to Veto
Despite growing global calls for a ceasefire, several diplomats speaking anonymously due to private discussions said the U.S. is likely to veto the measure, as it did with a similar resolution in November.
The U.N. Security Council is set to vote Wednesday on a draft resolution demanding “an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in Gaza respected by all parties,” according to The Associated Press. However, multiple diplomats say the United States is expected to veto the measure.
The resolution, prepared by the Security Council’s ten elected members, also reiterates demands for the release of all hostages held by Hamas and other groups following the Oct. 7, 2023, surprise attack on southern Israel.
Labeling the humanitarian situation in Gaza as “catastrophic,” the resolution further demands the immediate and unconditional lifting of all restrictions on humanitarian aid entering the territory. It calls for the safe and large-scale distribution of aid by the U.N. and its humanitarian partners.
The vote, scheduled for late Wednesday afternoon, follows a controversial initiative led by an Israeli and U.S.-backed foundation to set up aid distribution points within Israeli military zones. While the plan aims to bypass Hamas, the United Nations has rejected it, arguing it fails to address the worsening hunger crisis and violates core humanitarian principles of neutrality, impartiality, and independence.
U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric emphasized that current aid access remains critically limited. Since the partial lifting of a total blockade imposed on March 2, only about 370 of over 620 truckloads have reached those in need in Gaza. Some aid has been looted by armed groups, Dujarric noted, underscoring the urgency of restoring “unimpeded entry of humanitarian assistance at scale.”
Gaza's 2 million residents remain heavily dependent on international aid, with most of the enclave's food production destroyed by Israel’s ongoing military offensive. Aid flows resumed only after mounting international pressure and warnings of impending famine.
The draft resolution also calls for the full restoration of essential humanitarian services in accordance with international humanitarian law and U.N. Security Council mandates. Despite growing global calls for a ceasefire, several diplomats speaking anonymously due to private discussions said the U.S. is likely to veto the measure, as it did with a similar resolution in November.
The United States has not yet commented on the current draft, and Israel’s U.N. Mission has also remained silent.
Since Oct. 7, 2023, the Security Council has voted on 14 Gaza-related resolutions, passing only four. The most recent attempt at a ceasefire resolution was blocked by a U.S. veto over the absence of a direct link to hostage releases.
That October attack by Hamas-led militants killed around 1,200 people in Israel and resulted in 251 hostages being taken. As of now, 58 hostages remain in Gaza, a third of whom are believed to be alive.
As tensions persist and the humanitarian crisis deepens, all eyes are now on the U.N. vote and the international community’s next move.
(Source:Kurdistan24)
