The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) passed on Monday a resolution with an overwhelming 14 votes in favor and US abstention calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza Strip.
The Council, however, failed to pass an amendment to the resolution, proposed by Russia, calling for a permanent ceasefire.
The resolution, put forward by the 10 non-permanent members of the Security Council, demands an immediate ceasefire for the month of Ramadan, the immediate and unconditional release of hostages and “the urgent need to expand the flow” of aid into Gaza.
The Russian verbal amendment did not pass due to a lack of votes. But in the substantive vote, there were 14 in favor, with the US abstaining. The resolution therefore has passed.
Reacting immediately after the vote, Secretary-General António Guterres said on X that the long-awaited resolution must be implemented; the Council’s failure to do so “would be unforgivable.”
Disagreement in the Council has seen several rounds of drafts quashed by one or more of its five veto-wielding permanent members (China, France, Russia, United Kingdom, United States) since the Israeli aggression began on October 7, 2023.
The US had vetoed three previous UNSC resolutions calling for ceasefire in Gaza, two of them had called for an immediate ceasefire.
Israel has been waging a genocidal war against the Gaza Strip since October 7 last year in which more than 32,000 people were killed and more than 74,000 others injured until today.
