The 15-member council was initially expected to vote on the Brazilian draft on Monday.
United Nations:
The United Nations Security Council will now vote on Wednesday on a Brazilian-drafted resolution calling for a humanitarian pause in the conflict between Israel and Palestinian militants Hamas to allow humanitarian aid access to the Gaza Strip.
The council is next expected – at the request of the United Arab Emirates and Russia – to discuss a hospital explosion in Gaza that killed hundreds of people on Tuesday, diplomats said.
Palestinian UN envoy Riyad Mansour blamed Israeli forces for the hospital “massacre” and called for an immediate ceasefire. Israeli UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan issued a statement accusing the militant Palestinian Islamic Jihad group of responsibility.
Islamic Jihad has denied the allegations. Reuters could not independently verify who was responsible for the blast.
The 15-member council was initially scheduled to vote on the Brazilian draft on Monday, but that was postponed for 24 hours to allow more time for negotiations. The United States then pushed for further delays while President Joe Biden visits Israel on Wednesday.
It was unclear whether the United States, a veto power that traditionally protects its ally Israel from Security Council action, would have the resolution passed. The draft text also urges Israel – without naming it – to withdraw its order for Gaza civilians to move to the south of the Palestinian enclave.
Israel last week ordered about 1.1 million people in Gaza – nearly half the population – to move south as it prepares for a ground offensive in retaliation for the worst Hamas attack on civilians in the 75- year-long history of Israel.
The Brazilian draft is essentially a more detailed version of a Russian text that failed to pass in Monday’s vote, except that it specifically condemns “Hamas’ terrorist attacks.” Instead of calling for a ceasefire, it calls for humanitarian pauses in the conflict so that aid can access Gaza.
Israel has completely besieged Gaza and subjected it to the most intense bombardment ever. It has vowed to destroy Hamas after it killed 1,300 people and took hostages in an attack on Israel on October 7. About 3,000 Palestinians have been killed.
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