US expected to block Gaza ceasefire vote at Security Council
UNITED STATES: The UN Security Council will vote Wednesday on a resolution calling for a ceasefire and unrestricted humanitarian access in Gaza, a measure expected to fail due to a US veto.
It is the 15-member body's first vote on the subject since November, when the United States -- a key Israeli ally -- also blocked a text calling for an end to fighting.
The new resolution, seen by AFP, "demands an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in Gaza respected by all parties."
It also calls for the "immediate, dignified and unconditional release of all hostages held by Hamas and other groups."
Underlining a "catastrophic humanitarian situation" in the Palestinian territory, the resolution additionally demands the lifting of all restrictions on the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza.
It will be put to vote at 4:00 pm Wednesday (2000 GMT), but several diplomats indicated to AFP that they expected the United States to wield its veto power.
They added that the representatives from the 10 elected members of the Council, who will introduce the text, tried in vain to negotiate with the American side.
Israel has faced growing international pressure to end its war in Gaza. That scrutiny has increased over flailing aid distribution in Gaza, which Israel blocked for more than two months before allowing a limited number of UN vehicles to enter in mid-May.
But that, the United Nations said, was not enough to meet the humanitarian needs.
A US-backed relief effort called the Gaza Humanitarian Fund has also come under criticism for going against long-standing aid principles by coordinating relief efforts with a military belligerent.
Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian ambassador to the UN, on Tuesday urged the Council to act.
"All of us will be judged by history as to how much have we done in order to stop this crime against the Palestinian people," he said.
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