UN Security Council Passes Resolution on Gaza Ceasefire

New York, 25 March 2024: The United Nations Security Council has adopted the long-delayed resolution, calling for an immediate ceasefire, and unconditional release of the hostages. The resolution was put forward by 10 elected non-permanent members of the Security Council, namely:

• Algeria
• Guyana
• Ecuador
• Japan
• Malta
• Mozambique
• Sierra Leone
• Slovenia
• South Korea
• Switzerland

The draft resolution is tabled by the E10 members after the US draft resolution was vetoed by China and Russia on Friday for not calling for unconditional and immediate ceasefire. Two of the close US allies, Japan and South Korea, initially did not sponsor the resolution. However, they signed the resolution after sensing the optimism around the resolution.

According to the diplomats working in the UN the draft resolution by E10 members was being prepared with the US to avoid a veto. In the past six months the US has vetoed four ceasefire draft resolutions.

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Last Minute Negotiations Delayed the UNSC Session

According to reports from Al Jazeera, the UNSC session was delayed by at least twenty minutes due to the last minute negotiations, where the sources informed that the US pressured removing reference to “permanent” ceasefire from the text and including “lasting” ceasefire.

Netanyahu Threatens U.S. Veto on Ceasefire Resolution

A news surfaced in Israeli media just hours before the UNSC session that Prime Minister Netanyahu threatened that if the U.S did not veto the resolution he would cancel the White House visit.

Hours later, after the adoption of resolution, Netanyahu announced that no delegation would be leaving for Washington from Tel Aviv.

#BREAKING: PMO: In light of the change in the US position, Prime Minister Netanyahu decided that the delegation will not leave to Washington https://t.co/FCiJBXHWpO

— Amichai Stein (@AmichaiStein1) March 25, 2024

Key Elements of the Resolution

The resolution demands an “immediate ceasefire” for the ongoing Muslim holy month of Ramadan, leading to a “permanent ceasefire”.

The Russian ambassador to the UN Vasily Nebenzya objected to the removal of reference of “permanent” ceasefire from the draft arguing that Israel would resume its onslaught in Gaza after the end of the prescribed month.

Russia also proposed an amendment to the text but it was voted down. Only three countries supported the amendment, while eleven abstained and one against it.

The draft resolution passed with full majority with only the U.S. abstaining from voting.