TOUGH ROOF: During the break, there is heated discussion – also outside the UN hall. Photo: MICHAEL M. SANTIAGO / AFP / NTB
The UN Security Council is struggling to come up with a wording on the war in Gaza that the 15 members can agree on.
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A vote on a cease-fire in Gaza that was due to be held on Monday was postponed until Tuesday and could be further postponed, according to diplomatic sources in New York.
In the draft resolution, the words “permanent cessation of hostilities” have been replaced by the words “suspension”.
But there is still no consensus.
Israel, which has the support of the veto power USA, is strongly against any resolution with the word “ceasefire”. That is why the diplomats have tried words like “pause”, or a weaker word for ceasefire, namely truce, or a conditional ceasefire – “humanitarian ceasefire”.
– The negotiations are complex, but we hope that the Security Council can speak with one voice during the day, says the United Arab Emirates’ ambassador, Lana Zaki Nusseibeh.
Foto: SHANNON STAPLETON / Reuters / NTB
The new resolution proposal was put forward by the Emirates after the US last week vetoed another resolution on the war, despite strong pressure from Secretary-General António Guterres. That draft resolution demanded an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and was supported by 13 members of the Security Council.
A spokesman for the US Foreign Ministry says that the US is working with the other members of the Security Council on a resolution that requires Israel and Hamas to open up humanitarian aid to Gaza, and that a UN body be established to monitor the aid that is delivered.
Spokesman Matthew Miller says the US would be happy for a resolution that fully addresses the humanitarian needs of the people of Gaza, but that the details of the text matter.
Published:
Published: 19.12.23 at 20:55
Updated: 19.12.23 at 21:15
2023-12-19 19:55:39
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