The U.N. Security Council on Friday passed a resolution to boost the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip, after a week of intense negotiations. The initiative, presented by the United Arab Emirates (UAE), had to be rewritten several times due to objections from the United States, which has veto power in the body and which eventually abstained, as did Russia.
The text calls on UN Secretary-General António Guterres to appoint a special coordinator to monitor and verify the delivery of humanitarian aid to the Palestinian enclave, which has been subjected to constant bombardment after the start of the war between Israel and Hamas on October 7.
The resolution, adopted by 13 votes in favor, none against and two abstentions (the United States and Russia) "calls on all parties to authorize and facilitate the immediate, safe and unimpeded delivery of large-scale humanitarian assistance" to Gaza and "create the conditions for a lasting cessation of hostilities."
The agreement was in jeopardy until the last moment. Just before the vote, Russia's ambassador to the UN, Vasily Nebenzia, proposed an amendment to bring back a reference in the original text to the need to pause hostilities to allow humanitarian aid to enter.
This phrase was replaced, following U.S. objections, by a somewhat vaguer mention of the need to take "urgent steps" for a cessation of hostilities.
An Egyptian truck carrying humanitarian aid for Gaza stopped for an inspection at the border. Photo. AP
The Russian amendment was supported by a majority of countries in the Council but vetoed by the United States.
In the end, Russia abstained, allowing the resolution to go ahead.
It also demands the use of "all available access and movement routes throughout the Gaza Strip" for the delivery of fuel, food and medical equipment throughout the territory.
Speaking ahead of the start of the vote, the UAE's ambassador to the UN, Lana Nusseibeh, admitted that her text is "not perfect", and that only a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas will serve to alleviate the dire humanitarian conditions in the Palestinian enclave, where more than 20,000 people have already died.
According to the resolution, the UN secretary-general must appoint a humanitarian coordinator, who must present a mechanism tospeed up the delivery of aid and present a plan within the next 20 days.
The U.N. Security Council reached the agreement after a week of negotiations. Photo: REUTERS
Tense negotiations
The text was scheduled to be voted on Monday, but was delayed day after day to give countries time to negotiate language that could count on the support of all capitals.
The U.S. has twice twice vetoed other resolutions calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, arguing on one occasion that it did not recognize Israel's right to defend itself and on another that it did not demand the release of all hostages held by Hamas as a condition for a halt to the fighting.
Another resolution, introduced by the US, calling for "humanitarian pauses" was vetoed by Russia and China on 25 October.
Prior to today's meeting, the Security Council had already met six times to discuss the Gaza issue, only once reaching consensus on a non-veto resolution calling for "urgent and prolonged humanitarian pauses" in the war. At that time, the United States also opted to abstain.
Source: EFE
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