The United Nations Security Council has passed a resolution that demands a ceasefire in Gaza for the rest of Ramadan.
The Muslim holy month began on 10 March and is set to finish on 9 April – meaning the council is calling for a two-week ceasefire, though the draft said the pause in fighting should lead “to a permanent sustainable ceasefire”.
The US abstained from the vote, with the 14 other council members – including Russia, China and the UK – voting in favour.
The resolution also demanded the immediate, unconditional release of all hostages.
Before the vote, local media reported that Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened to cancel a planned visit to Washington with a delegation if the US did not veto the proposal.
On Friday, Russia and China vetoed a US-sponsored resolution that would have supported “an immediate and sustained ceasefire” in the Israeli-Hamas conflict.
The council had adopted two resolutions on the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza but Friday’s proposal marked the first time the US has backed a resolution containing the word “ceasefire” during the war in Gaza – reflecting a toughening of the Biden administration’s stance towards Israel.
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The US had vetoed three previous resolutions demanding a ceasefire in Gaza, the most recent a measure backed by the 22-nation Arab Group at the UN on 20 February.
After today’s vote, the UN secretary-general Antonio Guterres said on social media that the resolution “must be implemented”, adding: “Failure would be unforgivable.”
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