The Security Council is expected to vote on the resolution for a cease-fire in Gaza

2024-03-22 09:04:00, Kosova & Bota CNA

The Security Council is expected to vote on the resolution for a cease-fire in

The United States, which has repeatedly blocked calls for a cease-fire in Gaza, will submit a draft resolution to the United Nations Security Council on Friday calling for "an immediate cease-fire" as Russia pushes forward with demands more explicit for peace.

Since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas – the Palestinian group designated a terrorist organization by the US and the European Union – on October 7, the US has repeatedly used its veto in the Security Council to block proposed resolutions calling for a immediate ceasefire in the Palestinian enclave.

After the latest veto by Washington in late February, US officials have been negotiating an alternative text of a draft, focusing on supporting ongoing diplomatic efforts to reach a six-week ceasefire in exchange for the release of the hostages.

The latest version, seen by AFP, emphasizes "the need for an immediate and lasting ceasefire to protect civilians on all sides, allow the delivery of essential humanitarian aid and alleviate suffering".

The text also calls for support for "diplomatic efforts to reach a ceasefire regarding the release of all remaining hostages".

On Wednesday, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the latest resolution sends "a powerful signal".

The resolution "calls for a ceasefire related to the release of all hostages, and we very much hope that states will support that," Blinken said during a visit to Saudi Arabia.

However, the text of the resolution does not explicitly use the term "we call", but it says that a ceasefire is imperative, and according to Russia, this is a weak wording.

"We are not satisfied with anything that does not call for an immediate ceasefire," said Russia's deputy ambassador to the UN, Dmitry Polyanskiy.

According to AFP diplomatic sources, the US has enough votes to pass the draft resolution (at least nine votes out of 15 Council members), but there is a possibility that Russia will veto it.

The American ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said that she is "optimistic" that the resolution will be approved.

In addition to the ceasefire, the text also "rejects any attempt at demographic or territorial changes in Gaza" and also condemns "all acts of terrorism, including the attacks by Hamas on October 7 against Israel".

If approved, it would be the first time the Security Council would specifically condemn the Hamas attacks, which killed nearly 1,200 people, most of them civilians, and kidnapped nearly 250 others.

In response to Hamas attacks, Israel is waging a ground and air offensive in Gaza that has killed almost 32,000 people, mostly women and children, according to the Health Ministry in the Hamas-run territory.

Two humanitarian resolutions that have been approved in the Security Council, but also those in the General Assembly, have not mentioned Hamas, which has been criticized by Israel./REL