The fifteen member countries of the UN Security Council are raising their voices. After more than five months of war between Israel and Hamas, the Security Council adopted this Monday, for the first time, a resolution demanding an “immediate ceasefire” in Gaza. The United States, which initiated a first text presented on Friday, abstained. Russia and China, who exercised their veto at the end of last week, this time approved the resolution.
The resolution adopted by 14 votes in favor, with one abstention, “demands an immediate ceasefire for the month of Ramadan” which already began two weeks ago, should “lead to a lasting ceasefire” and “demands the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.”
Monday’s abstention by the United States, Israel’s main ally, “does not represent a change of course,” assured a White House spokesperson. John Kirby added that Washington, which until then had blocked several draft resolutions of this type, had not yet voted in favor of the text because it lacked “essential” elements such as a condemnation of Hamas.
This ceasefire could begin “immediately” as soon as a first hostage is released, argues the American ambassador. For its part, France wants the immediate ceasefire for Ramadan demanded this Monday by the UN Security Council to be followed by a “permanent ceasefire,” pleaded the French ambassador. at the UN Nicolas de Rivière, congratulating the Security Council for breaking its “deafening” silence.