UN Security Council resolution calls for ceasefire and humanitarian aid in Gaza

Shafaq News/ On Monday, the United Nations Security Council passed a resolution calling for an "immediate ceasefire" during the month of Ramadan, along with the unconditional release of hostages and increased humanitarian aid flow into Gaza.

The resolution received 14 votes in favor, with the United States abstaining from voting.

Following the vote, US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield attributed the abstention to “disagreements” with certain aspects of the resolution, particularly the absence of a condemnation of Hamas.

"The US support for these objectives is not simply rhetorical. We're working around the clock to make them real on the ground through diplomacy because we know that it is only through diplomacy that we can push this agenda forward," Thomas-Greenfield pointed out.

"A ceasefire can begin immediately with the release of the first hostage, and so we must put pressure on Hamas to do just that," she said.

According to Israeli army radio, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu threatened to cancel a planned delegation to Washington if the US did not veto the resolution. However, the White House clarified that the abstention did not signify a policy shift and noted that essential language was missing from the final resolution.

The resolution was passed amid escalating calls for an end to the prolonged war, marked by intensive Israeli military actions in Gaza and dire humanitarian conditions in the besieged territory.

The UN has warned of a looming famine in Gaza, with over 90% of the population displaced and an alarming increase in hunger-related crises.

Since October 7, the war, which has lasted for five months, has led to critical food shortages among Gaza's 2.3 million Palestinians, reaching famine levels in some areas, according to the United Nations.

So far, Israel has killed more than 32,000 Palestinians, mainly children and women.