UN Security Council passes resolution demanding immediate cease-fire in Gaza

UN Security Council on Monday passed the Gaza cease-fire resolution while the US abstained from voting.

As reported, it is the first time that the United Nations Security Council has demanded an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages after the United States abstained from the vote.

After the United States abstained from the vote, the remaining 14 council members voted for the resolution, which was proposed by the 10 elected members of the body.

Amid the mounting global pressure for a truce in the fighting that has killed more than 32,000 Palestinians, the US abstained from the vote to allow the Security Council to demand an immediate ceasefire for the month of Ramazan, which ends in two weeks.

As reported, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu had demanded the US veto the cease-fire resolution, threatening to cancel plans to send a delegation to Washington to discuss plans for a ground offensive in the southern Gaza city of Rafah.

US ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield speaking after the vote, blamed Hamas for the delay in passing a ceasefire resolution.

“We did not agree with everything with the resolution,” which she says is the reason why the US abstained.

“Certain key edits were ignored, including our request to add a condemnation of Hamas,” Thomas-Greenfield said. She stressed that the release of captives will lead to an increase in humanitarian aid in the besieged coastal enclave.