UNSC to hold new Gaza ceasefire vote today
UN Security Council has postponed the fresh vote on a resolution seeking a ceasefire in Gaza to Tuesday, diplomatic sources say.
The United Arab Emirates, which introduced the latest text, requested that the vote on Monday be postponed so that complex negotiations could proceed. The vote is now expected to be rescheduled for Tuesday.
The draft called for an “urgent and sustainable cessation of hostilities” in Gaza to allow “safe and unhindered humanitarian access” in the besieged Palestinian territory.
The delay suggests that UN diplomats have not yet found common ground to reach a consensus on the vote.
Given the international support in the General Assembly for the Gaza ceasefire last Tuesday, the Arab countries prepared the Security Council resolution though its fate remains uncertain.
AFP reports that the draft affirms support for a two-state solution in the region and “stresses the importance of unifying the Gaza Strip with the West Bank under the Palestinian Authority.”
While the draft does not mention Hamas, it demands the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages and condemns “violence and hostilities against civilians, as well as acts of terrorism.”
