NEW YORK: The UNSC on Wednesday called for “extended humanitarian pauses” in Gaza, the first time the world body has broken its silence since the start of the war between Hamas and Israel.
The resolution, introduced by Malta and approved with 12 votes in favor, “calls for an immediate and extended humanitarian pauses and corridors across the Gaza Strip for an enough number of days” to permit aid and help to reach civilian population in the besieged Gaza.
UNSC Calls for ‘Humanitarian Pauses’ in Gaza
Three countries abstained — the US, the UK and Russia. Since October 7, the UNSC tried in vain to pass a resolution of some kind over the matter.
Faced with the UNSC’s inability to act, the UNGA on October 27 adopted with a resolution calling for an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire” in the Gaza. The US and Israel voted against the UNGA’s resolution.
The US opposed any use of the term “ceasefire,” diplomats added while other terms floated were “pause” and “truce”.
China’s UN representative Jun Zhang stated Wednesday that they are all disappointed regarding the inaction of the UNSC in the last 40 days. The resolution approved on Wednesday mentions children in every paragraph, including “demands that all sides comply with their obligations under global law, notably with regard to the safety of civilian population, especially children.”
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Meanwhile, in a statement, Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian permanent envoy at the UNSC said that Israel has violated all global norms by attacking al-Shifa hospital and is still being treated as an entity above the law.
He said that calls for restraint are not working. He further said “The demands for respect of global law should be backed by serious, immediate, and collective efforts to enforce the law.”
