UN Security Council poised for crucial vote on Gaza humanitarian aid access

The United Nations Security Council is gearing up for a pivotal vote as early on Monday on a groundbreaking proposal aimed at facilitating humanitarian aid access to the embattled Gaza Strip through land, sea, and air routes.

The proposal also encompasses the establishment of United Nations oversight of the delivered humanitarian assistance.

Behind the scenes, intense negotiations are unfolding between the United States, a key ally of Israel and a veto-wielding member of the council, and the United Arab Emirates, which has been instrumental in drafting the resolution.

The UAE, currently the only Arab representative on the Council, has collaborated closely with Egypt and Palestine in preparing the draft.

The proposed resolution places a strong emphasis on adherence to international law, specifically international humanitarian law, underscoring the imperative to protect civilians.

It specifically calls for the safeguarding of civilians and civilian infrastructure, ensuring the delivery of aid, and the protection of humanitarian workers. The resolution reiterates the obligation to respect and protect civilian facilities, including hospitals, schools, places of worship, and UN installations.

Key to the resolution is the demand for all conflict parties to permit, facilitate, and ensure the immediate, extensive, and secure delivery of humanitarian aid directly to the Palestinian civilian population throughout Gaza. This necessitates an urgent and continuous cessation of hostilities to enable aid delivery.

A US official, preferring anonymity, stated, “We have engaged constructively and transparently throughout the entire process in an effort to unite around a product that will pass. The UAE is well aware of what is acceptable and what is not – the ball is in their court to make this happen.”

The United States is reportedly seeking to moderate the language pertaining to the cessation of hostilities. The current draft, as per Reuters, expressly “calls for an urgent and sustainable cessation of hostilities to allow safe and unhindered humanitarian access.”

UN authorities and aid organizations have raised alarms about a looming humanitarian disaster in Gaza, characterized by widespread starvation and disease. The majority of Gaza’s 2.3 million inhabitants have been displaced due to the ongoing two-month conflict.

For a council resolution to pass, it requires a minimum of nine affirmative votes and no vetoes from the five permanent members – the US, France, China, Britain, or Russia.

Earlier this month, the US vetoed a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Israel’s offensive in Gaza. Subsequently, the UN General Assembly called for a ceasefire last week, with 153 nations voting in favour.

Resolutions by the Security Council are legally binding, while those of the General Assembly are not.

The United States and Israel have expressed opposition to a ceasefire, believing it would predominantly benefit Hamas. Washington, instead, advocates for ‘pauses’ in the conflict to protect civilians and facilitate the release of hostages held by Hamas since an attack on Israel on 7 October.

Israel has intensified its military operations in Gaza, including aerial bombardments, a siege, and a ground offensive, resulting in approximately 19,000 Palestinian casualties, as reported by Palestinian health officials.

After several unsuccessful attempts, the Security Council last month advocated for temporary pauses in the conflict to enable aid access to Gaza.

A recent seven-day pause saw some hostages released by Hamas, Palestinian prisoners freed from Israeli jails, and an increase in aid deliveries to Gaza, concluding on 1 December.

Although limited humanitarian aid and fuel have entered Gaza through the Rafah crossing from Egypt, subjected to Israeli monitoring, UN officials and aid workers assert that it falls far short of meeting Gazans’ basic needs.

The draft resolution aims to establish UN monitoring in Gaza for aid delivered via land, sea, or air by non-conflict parties, with the UN notifying both the Palestinian Authority and Israel about these deliveries.

In a significant development, the Israel-controlled Kerem Shalom crossing into Gaza opened for aid trucks for the first time since the war outbreak, officials reported. This move is expected to double the food and medicine reaching Gaza.