UN Security Council to Vote on Gaza Ceasefire Resolution, US Expected to Veto
The United Nations Security Council will vote Wednesday (Jun 5) on a resolution calling for a ceasefire and unrestricted humanitarian access in Gaza, a measure expected to fail due to a United States veto.
It marks the 15-member body's first vote on the subject since November, when the US, a key Israeli ally, also blocked a resolution calling for an end to fighting.
The vote is scheduled for 4pm Wednesday. Several diplomats told AFP they expect the United States to exercise its veto power.
Representatives from the Council's 10 elected members, who are introducing the draft, reportedly tried in vain to negotiate with the American side.
If applied, the veto would be the first by Washington since US President Donald Trump took office in January.
Ceasefire, Hostages, and Humanitarian Aid
The resolution text, 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.'
Citing a 'catastrophic humanitarian situation' in Gaza, the resolution demands the lifting of all restrictions on aid entry into the enclave, where the UN has warned that existing deliveries fall far short of needs.
The proposal comes amid heavy scrutiny of both the Israeli military campaign and the efficacy of relief efforts. Israel blocked most humanitarian shipments for more than two months before partially easing restrictions in mid-May. Aid workers have said the volume remains insufficient and distribution dangerous.
Critics have also raised concerns about the US-backed Gaza Humanitarian Fund (GHF), accusing it of compromising humanitarian neutrality by coordinating with Israeli authorities.
Rising Civilian Toll and Diplomatic Tensions
Israeli strikes on Wednesday killed at least 16 people in Gaza, including 12 in a single attack on a tent sheltering displaced residents, according to the territory's civil defense agency.
On Tuesday, another 27 people were killed in southern Gaza near a GHF aid site, where Israeli troops opened fire. The Israeli military has said the incident is under investigation.
Pressure on the Security Council has grown in recent weeks, with both sides trading accusations over the war's toll on civilians.
Palestinian UN envoy Riyad Mansour urged Council members to act. 'All of us will be judged by history as to how much we have done in order to stop this crime against the Palestinian people,' he said Tuesday.
Israel's UN ambassador, Danny Danon, blasted the resolution as unhelpful and politically motivated.
'This resolution doesn't advance humanitarian relief. It undermines it. It ignores a working system in favor of political agendas,' Danon said in remarks prepared for the Council. 'It ignores the one party still endangering civilians in Gaza: Hamas.'
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