UN Security Council to vote on Gaza ceasefire resolution but US veto expected

The UN Security Council is set to vote on a resolution on Thursday that would once again demand an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages while expressing alarm about a recent famine report and Israel’s expanding offensive in Gaza City.

Diplomats at the United Nations said the United States will likely veto the effort, as they have done for similar resolutions in the past year, including the last effort in June.

The resolution, drafted by the council’s ten elected members who serve two-year terms, goes further than previous drafts to highlight what diplomats call the “deepening of suffering” of Palestinian civilians in the nearly two-year war in Gaza.

It also reiterates demands in previous resolutions, including for the release of all hostages held by Hamas and other groups following their October 7 2023 surprise attack in southern Israel that launched the war in Gaza.

In opposing similar resolutions since November, the US has complained that the demands, including a ceasefire, were not directly linked to the release of hostages and would only embolden Hamas militants.

Danny Danon, Israel’s ambassador to the UN, blasted the new resolution, saying that it would “not release the hostages and will not bring security to the region”.

“Israel will continue to fight Hamas and protect its citizens, even if the Security Council prefers to turn a blind eye to terrorism,” he said in a statement on Thursday.

All 14 other members of the council are expected to vote in favour of the resolution, which described the humanitarian situation in Gaza as “catastrophic” and called on Israel to lift all restrictions on the delivery of aid to the 2.1 million Palestinians in the territory.

The resolution also expressed “deep alarm” after a report released last month by the world’s leading authority on food crises said Gaza City has become gripped by famine, and that it is likely to spread across the territory without a ceasefire and an end to restrictions on humanitarian aid.

Israeli forces have pressed on with a new ground offensive in Gaza City. The latest Israeli operation, which started on Tuesday, further escalates a conflict that has rocked the Middle East and likely pushes any ceasefire further out of reach.

The Israeli military, which says it wants to “destroy Hamas’s military infrastructure” has not given a timeline for the offensive, but there were indications it could take months.

That same day, a team of independent experts commissioned by the UN Human Rights Council concluded that Israel is committing genocide in Gaza, issuing a report that called on the international community to end it and take steps to punish those responsible for it.