UN Security Council to vote on Gaza ceasefire resolution amid humanitarian crisis

UNITED NATIONS (AP) - The U.N. Security Council scheduled a vote Wednesday on a resolution which demands "an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in Gaza respected by all parties." U.N. diplomats said the United States is likely to veto it.

The resolution, drafted by the council's 10 elected members who serve two-year terms, reiterates its demand for the release of all hostages held by Hamas and other groups following their Oct. 7, 2023 surprise attack in southern Israel.

Calling the humanitarian situation in Gaza "catastrophic," the proposed resolution also demands "the immediate and unconditional lifting of all restrictions on the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza and its safe and unhindered distribution at scale, including by the U.N. and humanitarian partners."

The vote, scheduled for late Wednesday afternoon, comes amid near-daily shootings following the establishment by an Israeli and U.S.-backed foundation of aid distribution points inside Israeli military zones, a system it says is designed to circumvent Hamas.

The United Nations has rejected the new system, saying it doesn't address Gaza's mounting hunger crisis, allows Israel to use aid as a weapon, and doesn't comply with the humanitarian principles of neutrality, impartiality and independence.

The draft resolution demands the restoration of all essential humanitarian services in line with those principles, international humanitarian law and U.N. Security Council resolutions.

Several U.N. diplomats from different countries, speaking on condition of anonymity Tuesday because discussions have been private, said they expect the United States to veto the resolution.

The U.S. Mission to the United Nations said it had no comment on the draft resolution at this time. Israel's U.N. Mission did not respond to a request for comment on the draft.

Gaza's roughly 2 million people are almost completely reliant on international aid because Israel's offensive has destroyed nearly all of Gaza's food production capabilities. Israel imposed a blockade on supplies into Gaza on March 2, and limited aid began to enter again late last month after pressure from allies and warnings of famine.

U.N. spokesman Stephane Dujarric said Tuesday that the needs in Gaza are enormous and what's getting into Gaza from the U.N. "is still just a trickle." Since the complete blockade was partly lifted, he said, just over 620 truckloads have made it from Israel to the Palestinian side of the Kerem Shalom crossing, and only about 370 truckloads - mainly with flour, food and medical and nutrition items __ have gotten closer to people in need, with some looted including by armed gangs.

"The unimpeded entry of humanitarian assistance at scale must be restored immediately," Dujarric said. "The U.N. must be allowed to work in safety and in security under conditions of full respect for humanitarian principles."

Since Oct. 7, 2023, the Security Council has voted on 14 Gaza-related resolutions and approved four.

The last resolution was also proposed by the 10 elected council members and also demanded "an immediate, unconditional and permanent cease-fire to be respected by all parties." Fourteen of the 15 council members voted in favor last Nov. 20, but the U.S. vetoed the resolution because it was not linked to the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.

Hamas-led militants killed around 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and took 251 people hostage in the Oct. 7, 2023, attack into southern Israel that ignited the war. They are still holding 58 hostages, a third of them believed to be alive, after most of the rest were released in ceasefire agreements or other deals.

Israel's military campaign has killed more than 54,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, according to Gaza's Health Ministry, which doesn't say how many of the dead were civilians or combatants. The ministry is led by medical professionals but reports to the Hamas-run government. Its toll is seen as generally reliable by U.N. agencies and independent experts, though Israel has challenged its numbers.

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