“Pause”, “truce”, “humanitarian ceasefire”: the UN in search of the right formula
After multiple postponements since Monday, the United Nations (UN) Security Council could decide on Wednesday on a new resolution intended to improve the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza, a vote with the result still uncertain after complicated negotiations. The Council, widely criticized for its inaction since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas, has been negotiating for several days this four-page text supported by the United Arab Emirates, which hopes that the fifteen members will finally be able to “speak with one voice”.
Since the unprecedented bloody attack by Hamas against Israel on October 7 and the retaliation by the Israeli army, which shelled the Gaza Strip, the Council has only managed to break its silence once. On November 15, it adopted a text calling for “humanitarian breaks”but rejected five other texts in two months, including the last, calling for a real “humanitarian ceasefire”was blocked on December 8 by the United States.
Despite this American veto, the Emirates, with overwhelming support from the General Assembly for a ceasefire, launched a new battle in the Council “to go a little further” than the November resolution, explained their ambassador to the UN, Lana Zaki Nusseibeh. The latest version of this resolution seen by Agence France-Presse – which can still be modified – calls for a “urgent suspension of hostilities to allow safe and unimpeded humanitarian access, and urgent steps towards a lasting cessation of hostilities”. A less direct formulation than the previous version, which called for a “urgent and lasting cessation of hostilities”.
While Israel and its American ally oppose the idea of a “ceasefire”the qualification of a possible interruption of the war – ” break “, “truce”, “humanitarian ceasefire”… – has been at the heart of the Council’s divisions for more than two months. And still one of the key points of the ongoing negotiations.
“We would support a resolution that fully supports addressing the humanitarian needs of Gaza residents, but (…) the details are the most important”, US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said on Tuesday. President Joe Biden recently said Israel risks losing international support due to its bombing “blind” on the Gaza Strip.
Like previous texts castigated by Israel and the United States, the latest draft resolution does not name Hamas. He condemns, on the other hand, “all indiscriminate attacks against civilians” And “all acts of terrorism”and demands the release of the hostages.