The United States has been negotiating with other members of the United Nations Security Council for days to avoid using the veto on a resolution that calls for an “urgent suspension” of the conflict between Israel and Hamas and allows for the delivery of aid to civilians in the Gaza Strip, according to the United Nations.
Key Facts
Reports indicate that negotiations between the United States and other members of the UN Security Council have delayed the vote on the recent resolution, which was originally scheduled for Monday and is now expected on Thursday, as they work to negotiate changes related to what was originally a call for a “ceasefire,” according to the UN.
The United States stated in previous sessions that any resolution passed must condemn the attack carried out by Hamas on October 7, although the UN said on Thursday that some countries have argued that the resolution condemning Hamas should also “condemn the Israeli occupation and the thousands of civilian deaths caused by Israeli military action.”
The United States is also negotiating how to increase the volume and monitor the delivery of aid, according to the UN-linked press agency.
A CNN report stated that the draft resolution also called for the “immediate and unconditional release of all hostages in Gaza” and a future two-state solution.
What to Watch
A vote is expected in the United Nations Security Council sometime on Thursday morning, according to the current president of the Security Council, José Javier de la Gasca López-Dominguez – the Ecuadorian ambassador to the UN – according to the UN-linked press agency.
Main Background
The United States exercised its veto power in the UN Security Council earlier in December to reject what would have been a legal resolution calling for a ceasefire between Israel and Gaza. The Security Council is the only part of the UN capable of making legal decisions, and the United States is one of only five countries with veto power. The UN has called for increased aid for weeks due to the escalating difficult situation in Gaza – where the UN food agency reported last week that 56% of Gaza households face “severe levels of hunger.” On December 12 – after the United States rejected a legal resolution calling for a ceasefire – the UN General Assembly met in an emergency session and adopted a non-binding resolution “calling for a humanitarian ceasefire, the protection of civilians, the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, and humanitarian access.” Ten member countries – including the United States and Israel – voted against the resolution, 23 countries abstained, and 153 countries voted in favor of adopting the resolution.
The Big Number
20,000. This is the number of Palestinians who have died since October 7, according to the health ministry run by Hamas. The number of Israeli casualties has remained around 1,200, with most deaths occurring in the initial attack on October 7.
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