Intensive negotiations were underway at the United Nations ahead of an expected vote Tuesday on a resolution calling for a halt in hostilities to allow much needed aid to enter Gaza, according to diplomats.
The Security Council's adoption of a new U.N. resolution to spur desperately needed aid to Gaza has been bogged down by two issues important to the United States: a reference to a cessation of hostilities and putting the U.N. in charge of inspecting trucks to ensure they are actually carrying humanitarian goods. A vote on the Arab-sponsored resolution, first postponed from Monday, was pushed back again until Wednesday as council members continued intense negotiations to avoid another veto by the United States.
The U.N. Security Council was set to convene in New York on Tuesday morning to vote on a new resolution calling for a cease-fire as the war between Israel and Hamas enters its 10th week.
The UN Security Council is struggling to find a unified voice on the war in Gaza, recently swapping a call for a "lasting cessation of hostilities" with a draft resolution demanding the fighting's "suspension."A draft text prepared by the UAE, obtained by AFP on Sunday, called for "an urgent and lasting cessation of hostilities to allow unimpeded access of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip."
The U.N. Security Council scheduled a vote late Monday on an Arab-sponsored resolution calling for an urgent cessation of hostilities in Gaza to allow unhindered access to deliver humanitarian aid to the massive number of civilians in need of food, water, medicine and other essentials.