Negotiations are underway at the United Nations ahead of a vote on a draft resolution calling for a cessation of hostilities in Gaza

CNN
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Intense negotiations are underway at the United Nations ahead of an expected vote on Tuesday on a resolution calling for a cessation of hostilities to allow much-needed aid in. GazaAccording to diplomats.

The United Nations Security Council is meeting on Tuesday to discuss, among other things, a resolution drafted by the United Arab Emirates calling for a cessation of hostilities in Gaza to allow the delivery of much-needed humanitarian aid, said UAE Ambassador to the United Nations Lana. Nusseibeh said.

The vote was originally scheduled for Monday, but was postponed a day to allow more time for negotiations. At the heart of the talks is language that could receive a “yes” vote from the United States, or at least an abstention, which would allow the measure to pass.

The draft resolution is said to have originally included a call for a “cessation of hostilities” to allow much-needed aid into Gaza. Diplomats hoped that changing the language to “suspend hostilities” would garner American support.

The United States vetoed previous measures in the UN Security Council and voted against a ceasefire call in the UN General Assembly.

This makes Tuesday’s vote important. If the United States allows the resolution to pass, it would be an important signal to Israel — including from its biggest allies — about growing international anger over the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

A vote is expected later Tuesday. The Security Council is expected to meet at 10 a.m. Eastern time, but is expected to discuss other matters before addressing the Middle East issue.

Earlier this month, the United States vetoed a resolution in the 15-member UN Security Council that included the word “ceasefire” in the text. Deputy US Ambassador to the United Nations Robert Wood told the Security Council at the time that this was because the Hamas attacks on October 7 were not mentioned in the draft resolution.

As one of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council, the United States’ use of its veto means that the resolution will not be passed.

According to Nusseibeh, who participated in drafting the text and leads the 22-member Arab group as a non-permanent member of the UN Security Council, the intense efforts to pass the latest resolution come amid an “urgent” need to stop hostilities and allow aid to enter. With the humanitarian crisis in the Strip reaching “catastrophic” levels.

“Every day, innocent people in Gaza struggle desperately for food, water, medicine and fuel. Members of the UN Security Council have seen the consequences of this humanitarian catastrophe first-hand, and the need for more aid could not be clearer,” Nusseibeh said. .

“The Council’s resolution responds to this need by opening border crossings, transporting aid by land, sea and air, and establishing a UN-led mechanism that will streamline inspections, monitoring and approvals. It underscores the critical importance of a cessation of hostilities to allow the delivery of humanitarian assistance and we will continue to aggressively pursue this goal.” .

Nusseibeh also said: “These findings are important to save lives, and our approach – from the beginning – has been focused on ensuring their adoption. This has been the basis of our engagement with Council members, including the United States, in the negotiations with whom we have discussed this text closely and in good faith.” In addition to the concerned Arab countries.

Last week, the UN General Assembly voted to demand an immediate ceasefire in war-torn Gaza, in a rebuke to the United States, which has repeatedly blocked calls for a ceasefire in the Security Council. Although the General Assembly vote is politically significant and is seen as having moral weight, it is not binding, unlike a Security Council resolution.

This story has been updated with additional reporting.