UN Vote on Gaza Ceasefire Delayed a Third Time

Facts

• The UN Security Council delayed a resolution on the current Gaza conflict for the third time since Monday, reportedly due to policy differences within US Pres. Joe Biden's administration. One of the main points of contention revolved around allowing the UN — as opposed to Israel — to inspect aid entering the Gaza Strip. Both the UAE and Egypt insisted on a UN inspection system to streamline and speed up aid delivery. ¹
• In an attempt on Tuesday to satisfy the US, rather than the original call for "an urgent and lasting cessation of hostilities," diplomatic sources said the resolution language had been changed to an "urgent suspension of hostilities." According to an Al Jazeera reporter covering the meeting, the new draft also "calls for the UN to monitor all of the aid distribution in Gaza," something that wasn't included in prior drafts. ²
• During a council debate Tuesday, US Deputy Ambassador to the UN Robert Wood said "we must all work towards a two-state solution, which serves as the only foundation for a truly sustainable peace." He further called on the council to "pursue justice for the victims of horrific sexual violence perpetrated by Hamas". ³
• Like the resolution tabled on Oct. 9, the new draft doesn't specifically cite Hamas but rather "all indiscriminate attacks against civilians." The US on Dec. 9 vetoed another Security Council resolution, which is legally binding, backed by almost all members and dozens of other countries. On Dec. 12, the General Assembly voted 153-10, with 23 abstentions, to approve a similar resolution.⁴
• The draft reiterates calls to protect civilians and civilian infrastructure — such as hospitals, schools, places of worship, and UN facilities — as well as the immediate release of all prisoners held by Hamas. It also demands both Israel and Hamas to facilitate the immediate, safe and unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance at scale directly to the Palestinian civilian population" in Gaza. ²
• This comes as Israel has overseen the delivery of 750 metric tonnes of food into Gaza, though the World Food Programme said half the population is starving and only 10% of the required food has been delivered. US Secretary of State Antony Blinken the administration "want[s] to make sure that the resolution...doesn't do anything that could actually hurt the delivery of humanitarian assistance," adding that they're working "intensely". ⁵

Sources: ¹New York Times, ²Al Jazeera, ³Haaretz, ⁴The Times of Israel and ⁵AFP News.

Narratives

• Pro-Palestine narrative, as provided by Al Jazeera. The US has enabled Israel to violate every UN-established universal human right while simultaneously preaching about the importance of such universal human rights declarations concerning other countries. To make things worse, the US publicly conducts an about-face on this issue every chance it gets — essentially touting its unchecked ability to make rules but not follow them.
• Pro-Israel narrative, as provided by JNS. This resolution is incredibly hypocritical. While the UAE's draft calls for Israel to stop fighting the terrorists who attacked its citizens on Oct. 7, it has no similar call for Hamas to stop using innocent children as human shields. The US completely agrees that Israel should reduce civilian casualties as much as possible, but that doesn't mean there has to be a ceasefire. This war cannot end with Hamas in power — to do so would give terrorists a win without offering anything in return.
• Nerd narrative, as provided by Metaculus. There's a 50% chance that Israel will lift the blockade on electricity, food, gasoline and medicine in Gaza by February 2024, according to the Metaculus prediction community.