Today, the United Nations Security Council is set to vote on a proposal urging Israel and the Hamas movement to allow humanitarian aid to enter the Gaza Strip via land, sea, and air routes, and to establish a United Nations mechanism to monitor the aid delivery process.
According to Reuters, diplomats have reported that the fate of the resolution depends on the final negotiations between the United States, which possesses veto power in the council, and the United Arab Emirates, which drafted the text.
An American official, speaking on the condition of anonymity, stated, "We have engaged constructively and transparently throughout the entire process in pursuit of an agreed-upon text." The official added, "The United Arab Emirates knows precisely what can be adopted and what cannot, and it is up to them if they want to achieve that."
Diplomats affirmed that the United States seeks to soften the language regarding the cessation of hostilities.
Reuters has reported that the current draft text calls for "an immediate and sustainable cessation of hostilities to allow for the safe and unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid."
For the council's resolution to pass, it requires at least nine votes in favor and no veto by any of the permanent member states, including the United States.
The draft resolution stipulates the implementation of a UN monitoring mechanism in Gaza for aid delivered by land or sea, or aid provided by countries not involved in the conflict. The UN will notify both the Palestinian Authority and Israel of the aid deliveries.
The UN Security Council has failed twice to pass a resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza after the United States exercised its veto power.
Last week, Washington used its veto to thwart a resolution drafted by the United Arab Emirates following an unprecedented message from the UN Secretary-General, António Guterres, to the Security Council.
In his message, Guterres invoked Article 99 of the UN Charter, which allows him to "bring to the attention" of the council any matter that "may threaten international peace and security," marking the first activation of this article in decades.
