The UN Security Council adopted a resolution on Monday demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza during the month of Ramadan, the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages and stressing the urgent need “to expand the flow » of aid towards the Palestinian enclave.
The text presented by the 10 non-permanent members of the Council received 14 votes in favor and one abstention (United States). The five permanent members of the Council are: China, United States, France, United Kingdom and France.
In the resolution, Security Council members express “deep concern about the catastrophic humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip” and take note of the ongoing diplomatic action by Egypt, the United States and the Qatar, “aiming to achieve a cessation of hostilities, obtain the release of hostages and increase the provision and distribution of humanitarian assistance”.
In this context, the Council resolution adopted on Monday “demands an immediate humanitarian ceasefire during the month of Ramadan that is respected by all parties and leads to a lasting ceasefire.”
Removing obstacles to aid delivery
It also “demands the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages and the guarantee of humanitarian access to meet their medical and other humanitarian needs, and further requires the parties to comply with their obligations under international law with regard to all the people they detain.”
The members of the Council finally insist “on the urgent need to extend the delivery of humanitarian aid to civilians and to strengthen the protection of civilians throughout the Gaza Strip” and “renewedly demand the lifting of all obstacles to the provision of large-scale humanitarian assistance.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres welcomed the adoption of this resolution. “The Security Council has just approved 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,” he wrote in a message published on the X platform.
The head of the World Health Organization (WHO), Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus, also welcomed the adoption of this resolution and called for “its immediate implementation
“On Friday, Russia and China vetoed a draft resolution presented by the United States deeming an “immediate and lasting ceasefire” in Gaza imperative. This draft resolution received 11 votes for, three votes against (Algeria, China, Russia) and one abstention (Guyana).
Reactions from the United States and France
After the vote Monday, U.S. Ambassador and Permanent Representative Linda Thomas-Greenfield urged Council members to make clear that a ceasefire could have occurred “months ago” if the Hamas had been prepared to release the hostages, accusing the extremist group of throwing obstacles in the way of peace.
“Today, my request to the members of this Council… is to speak out and unequivocally demand that Hamas accept the deal on the table,” she said.
For his part, the Ambassador and Permanent Representative of France, Nicolas de Rivière, declared that “the adoption of this resolution demonstrates that the Security Council can still act when all its members make the necessary efforts to fulfill their duties. their mandate.
“The silence of the Security Council on Gaza was becoming deafening, it is now high time that the Council finally contributes to finding a solution to this crisis,” he continued. “After Ramadan, which ends in two weeks, [le Conseil] must establish a permanent ceasefire,” added the Ambassador, also emphasizing the importance of the two-state solution (Israel and Palestine).
Reactions from Israel and Palestine
Riyad Mansour, Permanent Observer of the Observer State of Palestine, noted that it took six months, with more than 100,000 Palestinians killed and maimed, to finally demand an immediate ceasefire.
Palestinians in Gaza are living in a context of famine and many are buried under the rubble of their own homes, he said.
“Their ordeal must end, and it must end immediately, now.” Gilad Erdan, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of Israel, denounced the fact that “unfortunately, again today, this Council has refused to condemn the massacre of October 7.”
“It’s a shame,” he said.Mr. Erdan further noted that over the past 18 years, Hamas has launched incessant attacks against Israeli civilians. “Thousands and thousands of indiscriminate rockets and missiles against civilians,” he stressed.
