A resolution, which includes multiple points like call for humanitarian pauses between Israel and Hamas, increased aid to Gaza, creation of favourable situations for ensuring a sustainable end to fighting and ending days of closed-door negotiations, has been approved by the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) on December 22, according to CNN.
The UNSC resolution asked for an “urgent and extended humanitarian pauses and corridors throughout the Gaza Strip to enable full, rapid, safe, and unhindered humanitarian access.” The abstinence from the voting procedure was adopted by the United States and Russia where they decided against using their vetoes as permanent members of the body that would have shot down the resolution.
US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield though appreciative of the contents of the resolution refrained from voting in favour of it as the text lacked to mention the condemnation of Hamas.
A senior US diplomat told CNN, “We would like to witness the condemnation of Hamas. We can’t understand why the council has no explanation for exactly how we got to where we are. But in the end, that’s what diplomacy is all about.”
Throughout what the diplomat referred to as the “marathon negotiations,” the US seemed eager to not vote against the resolution as they suffered global blowback for vetoing the last Security Council resolution that called for an immediate ceasefire. In the December 22 resolution, the language asked for “urgent steps” to lay the groundwork “for a sustainable cessation of hostilities.”
“In the end, coming up with conditions for sustainable cessation of hostilities is something that everybody is looking to do,” the diplomat remarked. “And the big debate over the last few weeks has really been: ‘Is the time right, right now, for a cessation of hostilities? Or do the conditions need to stand right?’ We were comfortable with the idea of the conditions needing to be right for that.”
Sources previously pointed out to CNN that a major point where they were stuck over the draft was a call for the UN to “set up a monitoring mechanism in the Gaza Strip with the required number of personnel and equipment, under the authority of the United Nations Secretary-General.”
The US is of the opinion that the proposal of a UN-created monitoring mechanism for aid pouring into the Gaza Strip would be cumbersome and slow down the delivery of critical assistance.
