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UN Security Council Gears Up for Gaza Ceasefire Vote as US Threatens Veto

© AFP 2023 / -People inspect the damage following Israeli bombardment in Rafah on the southern Gaza Strip on December 29, 2023, amid the ongoing battles between Israel and the Palestinian militant group hamas
People inspect the damage following Israeli bombardment in Rafah on the southern Gaza Strip on December 29, 2023, amid the ongoing battles between Israel and the Palestinian militant group hamas - Sputnik International, 1920, 18.02.2024
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The diplomatic friction among member countries of the UN Security Council (UNSC) in settling for a lasting ceasefire in the current conflict in Gaza hasn't led to any constructive end. However, the efforts of Russia, the UAE, and a few Arab countries to ensure a humanitarian ceasefire are sabotaged by the US.
Algeria has called for a UNSC vote on Tuesday on an immediate ceasefire in the the Gaza strip, diplomats say.
The motion by the North African nation was first tabled two weeks ago, but provoked a hostile response from US envoy Linda Thomas-Greenfield.
Greenfield claimed Algeria's draft endangered "sensitive negotiations" focused on achieving cessation of hostilities. "The United States does not support action on this draft resolution. Should it come up for a vote as drafted, it will not be adopted," she warned.
The resolution requires a minimum of nine votes to pass, with no vetoes by the five permanent council members the US, UK, China, France or Russia. Washington has repeatedly used its veto to shield Israel from UN censure.
Pro-Palestine protester gather at Jamaica train station in New York City on January 27, 2024. Intense fighting raged in the Gaza city of Khan Yunis, the main theatre of conflict where the Israeli army is targeting Hamas - Sputnik International, 1920, 10.02.2024
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Moscow's draft resolution for a humanitarian ceasefire on October 16 last year after only winning five votes from China, Gabon, Mozambique, Russian Federation and the United Arab Emirates (UAE), with France, Japan the UK and voting against and others abstaining.
A similar motion moved by the UAE on December won the support of 13 members, but was prevented from passing by the US veto.
"What is the message we are sending Palestinians if we cannot unite behind a call to halt the relentless bombardment of Gaza?" Deputy UAE UN Ambassador Mohamed Issa Abushahab asked the council.
UN Security Council meeting - Sputnik International, 1920, 21.12.2023
Analysis
US Vetoes UNSC Gaza Peace Bids as Resolutions Would Give ‘Legitimacy’ to Actions Against Israel
On December 12 the UN General Assembly passed a resolution calling for a ceasefire in the Israeli assault on Gaza, with the overwhelming support of 153 countries. The US, Israel and eight others voted against and 23 countries abstained.
“With its veto, the American side essentially issued a license to kill and now bears full responsibility for each new victim of the conflict in Gaza…Sharing this blame with them is something that other members of Security Council and members of the UN as a whole should not be asked to do," Russia's UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia told the General Assembly after the vote.
The latest fighting in Gaza erupted on October 7 when the militant wings of Hamas and other Palestinian organisations broke out of the besieged enclave and attack Israeli army outposts and settlements. According to Israeli reports, the fighting resulted in the loss of roughly 1,200 lives, with 253 individuals being taken hostage.
Israel launched a military offensive against Gaza which has resulted in the deaths of over 28,000 Palestinians, with numerous more casualties believed buried under the debris. Thousands more Palestinians have been wounded and up to a million driven from homes by the Israeli offensive.
The looming UN Security Council vote comes as Israeli prime Minister Benjamon Netanyahu vowed to launch an assult on Rafah in southern Gaza, the city where most Palestinians have sought sanctuary.

"The situation in Gaza underscores the urgent need for international unity and action," the UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres told the Munich Security Conference on Friday.

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