The United States, an ally of Israel that has vetoed earlier drafts, abstained, and the UN Security Council for the first time on Monday urged an immediate ceasefire after more than five months of fighting.
Amidst the often stoic Security Council, the resolution that “demands an immediate ceasefire” for the ongoing Islamic holy month of Ramadan garnered rare cheers from the other 14 members.
The resolution requests that Hamas and other Hamas free the hostages they took on October 7 and asks that the truce result in a “lasting, sustainable ceasefire”.
Russia abruptly took issue with the phrase “permanent” ceasefire being removed and sought a vote, which was unsuccessful in passing.
Algeria, the current Security Council member of the Arab bloc, collaborated with a wide range of nations, including Slovenia and Switzerland, to craft the victorious resolution.
Previous attempts for a ceasefire have been vetoed by the US, but it has expressed increasing dissatisfaction with Israel despite its declared intentions to extend its military operation to the crowded southern city of Rafah.
Friday marked a shift in the United States’ attitude toward its Middle Eastern ally, as it proposed a resolution recognizing “the imperative” of a “immediate and sustained ceasefire.”
However, China and Russia vetoed that document, criticizing it along with Arab states for not going so far as to urge that Israel immediately end its attack in Gaza.
The United States had repeatedly blocked ceasefire resolutions as it attempts to walk a line between supporting Israel with military aid and voicing frustration with leader Benjamin Netanyahu as the civilian death toll in the Gaza Strip mounts.
Unlike Friday’s text, the call for a ceasefire in the new resolution is not directly linked to ongoing talks, led by Qatar with support from the United States and Egypt, to halt fighting in return for Hamas releasing hostages.
Israel has criticized the Security Council for previous resolutions that have not specifically condemned Hamas.
The October 7 attack by the Palestinian Hamas group on Israel resulted in the deaths of about 1,160 people, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli figures.
The Hamas also seized 250 hostages, of whom Israel believes around 130 remain in Gaza, including 33 presumed dead.
Israel’s military campaign in response to eliminate Hamas has killed more than 32,000 people, mostly women and children, according to the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory.
The Security Council has been divided over the Israel-Hamas war since the October 7 attacks, only approving two of eight resolutions, which both mainly dealt with humanitarian aid.
And those resolutions seem to have had little effect on the ground, where UN personnel say Israel continues to block aid convoys as experts warn of looming famine.
