Ceasefire in the Gaza Strip: the UN Security Council adopts a first resolution to this effect, thanks to the abstention of the United States

After more than five months of conflict, the Security Council of the United Nations (UN) adopted its first resolution on Monday, March 25, calling for an “immediate ceasefire” for the duration of Ramadan and the release of all hostages held in Gaza. The United States, which had vetoed previous texts, abstained, allowing the adoption, by 14 votes, of this resolution.

The text “demands an immediate ceasefire for the month of Ramadan”, which should “lead to a lasting ceasefire” and “demands the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages”. Ramadan already started two weeks ago.

Earlier in the day, China announced its support for this new draft resolution. “We hope that the Security Council will approve it as soon as possible and send a strong signal to stop hostilities,” said Lin Jian, spokesperson for the Chinese Foreign Ministry. The vote, which was scheduled for Saturday, was postponed until Monday, to try to avoid another failure.

On Friday, Russia and China vetoed an American draft resolution emphasizing the need for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, in connection with negotiations for the release of hostages captured during the Hamas attack on October 7 on Israeli soil.

US “Hypocritical Show”

Until now, Washington, Israel’s main ally, had vetoed several resolutions calling for a ceasefire. But with more than 32,000 dead in the Gaza Strip, according to Hamas, and the risk of famine in the besieged Palestinian territory, the United States had said it wanted to redouble its efforts for a truce.

The rejected American text did not explicitly call for an immediate ceasefire, using wording considered ambiguous by Arab countries, China and Russia, which denounced the “hypocritical spectacle” of the United States.

All weekend, eight of the ten non-permanent members of the Council (Algeria, Malta, Mozambique, Guyana, Slovenia, Sierra Leone, Switzerland, Ecuador) worked on this new draft resolution. The latest version seen by Agence France-Presse “demands an immediate humanitarian ceasefire for the month of Ramadan (…) leading to a lasting ceasefire.” She also calls for the “unconditional” release of the hostages and the removal of “all obstacles” to humanitarian aid.

The Council, largely divided on the Israeli-Palestinian issue for years, has only been able to adopt since October 7 (out of eight submitted to the vote), essentially humanitarian. Without much result: after five and a half months of war, the entry of aid into the besieged Gaza Strip remains largely insufficient and famine looms.