UN passes watered-down resolution to pave way for truce in Gaza but US abstains

The United Nations passed a resolution on Friday to boost aid into Gaza but which stopped short of calling for an immediate truce.

The US and Russia both abstained from the UN Security Council vote in New York after a four-day delay.

US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said the council had created the conditions for humanitarian aid and that Israel and Hamas must respect international humanitarian law, with the hostages released immediately and unconditionally.

“This resolution speaks to the severity of this crisis,” she said, adding that the US was “disappointed and appalled” that the resolution and some security council members had failed to condemn Hamas’s “horrific terrorist attack”.

Ms Thomas-Greenfield on Thursday night had argued that the text was a “very strong resolution” as she rejected claims the newest draft contained watered-down language. While saying it was “a resolution that we can support”, she declined to say if the US would vote “yes” or abstain.

Russia’s UN envoy Vassily Nebenzia said the US opposition to the initial draft resolution, which resulted in days of negotiations, had resulted in a “toothless” and “neutered” draft.

He particularly criticised watered-down language that called for the creation of “conditions for a sustainable cessation of hostilities”, saying it fell short of actually pausing fighting and would give Israel a “free hand” to continue its operations.

Mr Nebenzia introduced an amendment that would call for a “suspension” of fighting to allow more aid access, which was immediately vetoed by the US.

The news came as reports of the death of an American-Israeli dual citizen emerged – after he was taken into the Palestinian territory during Hamas’s attack on Israel.

Gadi Haggai was reportedly killed on 7 October during a cross-border attack by Hamas, which saw 1,200 killed and around 240 other people snatched by the terrorist group.

The 73-year-old man died in the Nir Oz kibbutz, after which his body was taken to the Gaza Strip by Hamas, according to a statement from the kibbutz via the Hostages and Missing Families Forum, which has been declaring hostages dead in absentia.

The statement added: “Judi [Mr Haggai’s wife] managed to notify friends that they had been shot and that Gadi was critically injured – it was the last contact with them.

“Judi is still held captive by Hamas. Gadi’s body is still being held by Hamas in Gaza.

“Gadi was a man full of humor who knew how to make those around him laugh. A musician at heart, a gifted flautist, he played in the IDF Orchestra and was involved with music his whole life.”

The Hostages and Missing Families Forum said the kibbutz was informed of Mr Haggai’s death by the Israel Defence Force, something the kibbutz has not confirmed.

Hamas did not respond to the statement but has warned “time is running out” for the hostages as the war with Israel neared its 12th week.

Some 130 hostages still remain in Gaza after around 50 were released during a week-long truce deal which ended on 1 December.

Related Article

After ongoing negotiations at the UN, an agreement was struck late on Thursday night that opened the door for the US to allow a United Arab Emirates (UAE) resolution to be adopted by the Security Council (UNSC) on Friday.

The UAE had put forward a resolution to the UNSC on Tuesday, seeking an “urgent and sustainable cessation of hostilities”, which the US – a veto power – voiced “widespread concerns” over.

Following days of negotiation, the latest draft called for “creating the conditions” for a “cessation of hostilities”.

The text will also accelerate aid deliveries through all available routes. However, it will no longer call for the use of all land, sea and air routes for deliveries while calls for a UN monitoring mechanism to exclusively oversee aid going into Gaza have also been scaled back.

Other UNSC members, including Russia, had complained during closed-door talks on Thursday about the amendments made to appease the US, Reuters has said, which led to the vote being postponed for a fourth day in a row.

Meanwhile, the UN said on Friday that one in four Palestinians were starving because of Israel’s continued bombardment of the Gaza Strip and a lack of available aid, with the risk of famine “increasing each day”.