Diplomats have stated that the United Arab Emirates requested the United Nations Security Council to vote on a draft resolution on Friday morning calling for an immediate cessation of hostilities for humanitarian reasons in the war between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip. The adoption of the resolution requires at least nine votes in favor and no vetoes from the five permanent member countries: the United States, Russia, China, France, and the United Kingdom. The United States has stated that it does not support any further action by the council at this time.
The renewed efforts for a ceasefire by Arab countries followed a rare move by UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday to formally warn the Security Council of the global threat posed by the Gaza conflict. Guterres, who has repeatedly called for a ceasefire for humanitarian reasons, is scheduled to provide a briefing to the council on Friday. The United States and its ally Israel oppose a ceasefire, stating that it would benefit only Hamas. Instead, Washington supports pauses in hostilities to protect civilians and allow for the release of hostages held by Hamas during the October 7 attack on Israel.
The United States proposed significant amendments to the draft text formulated by the UAE, including a condemnation of "the terrorist attacks carried out by Hamas in Israel, including those that occurred on October 7, 2023." This condemnation was not added to the text that will be voted on today. The draft resolution was amended to state the "necessity of protecting Palestinian and Israeli civilians in accordance with international humanitarian law" and "calling for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages." The Ministry of Health in Gaza reports that more than 17,170 people have been killed so far in the area with a population of 2.3 million.
