UNITED NATIONS (AP) 鈥 The U.N. Security Council on Wednesday adopted its first resolution since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas war, calling for 鈥渦rgent and extended humanitarian pauses鈥 in Gaza to address the escalating crisis for Palestinian civilians during Israel鈥檚 aerial and ground attacks. Israel immediately rejected the resolution.
The vote in the 15-member council was 12-0 with the United States, United Kingdom and Russia abstaining. The U.S. and U.K. abstained because of the resolution鈥檚 failure to condemn Hamas鈥 surprise cross-border attacks into Israel on Oct. 7, and Russia because of its failure to demand a humanitarian cease-fire, which Israel and the United States oppose.
The final draft watered down language from 鈥渄emands鈥 to 鈥渃alls鈥 for humanitarian pauses, and for 鈥渢he immediate and unconditional release of all hostages held by Hamas and other groups.鈥
Still, the resolution, which was sponsored by Malta, managed to overcome the serious differences that had prevented the council from adopting four previous resolutions.
鈥淲hat we have achieved today is an important first step,鈥 Malta鈥檚 U.N. Ambassador Vanessa Frazier said. 鈥淲e will remain steadfast in our commitment to the protection of civilians and the plight of children in armed conflict that continue to suffer in a disproportionate manner.鈥
The resolution doesn鈥檛 mention the Oct. 7 attacks in Israel, where Hamas militants killed around 1,200 people and took some 240 others hostage. Nor does it mention Israel鈥檚 response with airstrikes and a ground offensive in Hamas-ruled Gaza that the territory鈥檚 health ministry says have killed more than 11,000 Palestinians, two-thirds of them women and children.
Russia鈥檚 U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia tried unsuccessfully to amend the resolution just before the vote with language from a resolution adopted Oct. 27 by the 193-member General Assembly. It calls for an 鈥渋mmediate, durable and sustained humanitarian truce leading to a cessation of hostilities.鈥
The vote on the amendment was five countries in favor, the U.S. opposed, and nine abstentions. It was not adopted because it failed to get the minimum nine 鈥測es鈥 votes.
Nebenzia said he abstained on the resolution because of appeals from the region for council action on the dire humanitarian situation. But he called it a disgrace that the council, which has 鈥渁 uniquely powerful toolbox鈥 including sanctions and even military action, 鈥渇inally squeezed out such a weak call.鈥
鈥淎s the old saying goes, the mountain has labored and brought forth a mouse,鈥 the Russian ambassador said.
U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said she remains 鈥渉orrified鈥 that a few council members can鈥檛 condemn Hamas鈥 鈥渂arbaric terrorist attack,鈥 and criticized the resolution for not reaffirming every country鈥檚 right to self-defense. She did note that the resolution is the first ever adopted 鈥渢hat even mentions the word Hamas.鈥
Nonetheless, Thomas-Greenfield called the resolution 鈥渁 step forward鈥 and said the U.S. supports its calls for humanitarian pauses and the release of hostages.
United Arab Emirates Ambassador Lana Nusseibeh, the Arab representative on the council, said its members supported the resolution, which is the first on the situation in the Palestinian territories since 2016.
鈥淚t is difficult geopolitical times, and to bring the unity of the council today to speak with one voice on the subject that has haunted all of us over the last month is, I think, momentous,鈥 she said.
The resolution 鈥渋s a first, important and overdue step鈥 and will change the world鈥檚 perception that the Security Council 鈥渋s indifferent,鈥 Nusseibeh said. But the world must not lose sight of the urgent goal of a lasting humanitarian cease-fire, she said.
Israel鈥檚 U.N. Ambassador Gilad Erdan issued a statement saying the resolution 鈥渋s disconnected from reality and is meaningless.鈥
He criticized the council鈥檚 failure to condemn Hamas, claiming the militants were deliberately allowing the humanitarian situation to deteriorate so the United Nations would pressure Israel to back off of Gaza.
鈥淚t will not happen,鈥 Erdan said. 鈥淚srael will continue to act until Hamas is destroyed and the hostages are returned.鈥
U.N. Security Council resolutions are legally binding, unlike General Assembly resolutions, but in practice many parties choose to ignore the council鈥檚 requests for action.
Richard Gowan, U.N. director for the International Crisis Group, said the Security Council has called for cease-fires in wars from the Balkans to Syria 鈥渨ith little or no impact.鈥
The General Assembly resolution was approved on Oct. 27 by a vote of 120-14 with 45 abstentions. Since then, Israel agreed Nov. 9 to four-hour pauses. But only limited aid has been delivered to Gaza through the Rafah crossing from Egypt, and .
Gowan said that the council was able to speak at all gives its member nations 鈥渟ome respite,鈥 but would likely not have any significant impact.
鈥淭he resolution is drafted in a way that puts no real political pressure on Israel, but the U.S. will likely urge Israel to show more flexibility on aid issues to satisfy global opinion,鈥 Gowan told The Associated Press. 鈥淭he council will not move from this text to a call for a cease-fire, unless facts change significantly on the ground.鈥
The resolution calls for humanitarian pauses and corridors throughout the Gaza Strip for a 鈥渟ufficient number of days鈥 for unhindered access by the U.N., Red Cross and other aid groups to get water, electricity, fuel, food and medical supplies to all those in need. It says the pauses also should allow for repair of essential infrastructure and enable urgent rescue and recovery efforts.
It demands that 鈥渁ll parties comply with their obligations under international law, notably with regard to the protection of civilians, especially children.鈥
It also asks U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to report to the council at its next monthly Mideast meeting, on Nov. 28, on implementing the resolution.
Asked afterward about Israel's rejection of the resolution, Malta鈥檚 Frazier and the UAE鈥檚 Nusseibeh said it remains legally binding and pointed to Guterres' upcoming report. Nusseibeh said the secretary-general has been asked to bring ideas on what the U.N. would need 鈥渇or further monitoring and implementation on the ground.鈥
Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian U.N. ambassador, said the Security Council should have called for a cease-fire a long time ago, stressing that 鈥淕aza bleeds death, devastation, destruction everywhere.鈥 It is 鈥渁 small, modest resolution,鈥 he said.
鈥淚srael considers all of us terrorists,鈥 he told the council after the vote. 鈥淚srael is not under threat of destruction. It is destroying Palestine. It considers the Palestinian state as a strategic threat. It is against Palestinian rule anywhere.鈥
Mansour said the Palestinians will keep coming back to the Security Council and the General Assembly for action, first and foremost for a cease-fire.
