The United Nations Security Council, under pressure from UN Secretary-General António Guterres, is considering a resolution calling for an “immediate ceasefire for humanitarian reasons” in Gaza. This action coincides with the arrival of a delegation from the Riyadh Summit in Washington to further efforts to end the ongoing Israeli war in Gaza, lasting over two months.
Guterres, in a rare move, invoked Article 99 of the UN Charter in a message to the Security Council last Wednesday. This article allows him to bring to the Council’s attention any matter that may threaten international peace and security. This is the first activation of this article in decades, sparking disapproval from Israel.
In his message, Guterres expressed concern about the continuous bombing by Israeli forces and the lack of shelters or basic survival means in Gaza, predicting an imminent complete collapse of public order and the impossibility of even limited humanitarian assistance under such desperate conditions. He reiterated his call for a humanitarian ceasefire to avoid irreversible consequences for Palestinians and for peace and security in the region.
UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric expressed hope that the Security Council would heed Guterres’ call, noting that the Secretary-General has been in communication with various international and Arab states’ officials, including U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken and British Foreign Secretary David Cameron.
The Israeli offensive in Gaza has been ongoing for 63 days, resulting in over 17,000 deaths, 46,000 injuries, and extensive destruction of residential areas, vital facilities, and hospitals. The Gaza Strip is experiencing severe shortages of food, water, fuel, and medicine, with 1.9 million people, or 85% of its population, displaced amidst the destruction.
Following Guterres’ unprecedented message, the United Arab Emirates prepared a draft resolution for the Security Council’s vote today, calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and warning of the dire humanitarian situation in the region. The draft resolution, as reported by the Ecuadorian presidency of the Council, demands the protection of civilians, the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, and guarantees for the delivery of humanitarian aid.
The outcome of the vote is uncertain, as the Security Council has rejected four draft resolutions since the war’s outbreak. Recently, the Council adopted a resolution calling for truces and humanitarian corridors in Gaza, not a ceasefire. The United States, a close ally of Israel, has opposed previous draft resolutions and consistently rejected the idea of a ceasefire, considering a new resolution unhelpful at this stage.
