The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has passed a resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire in Gaza for the month of Ramadan. The 14 members council members voted in favor of the resolution, which was proposed by the 10 elected members of the council. Only the United States abstained from the vote. After the vote, there was an unusual round of applause in the council chamber, showing how much the international community wants the bloodshed to end. The only member that abstained was the U.S., which had repeatedly blocked Security Council resolutions demanding to put pressure on Israel. However, the U.S. government could not remain indifferent to the ongoing Israeli brutality and increasing international pressure and has begun to show frustration. Especially, as civilian casualties continue to increase and the related U.N. agencies and offices warn of the ongoing humanitarian crisis in Gaza, the U.S. government has demonstrated its frustration. U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield explained that she abstained since the U.S. did not agree with everything in the resolution. The resolution was created at a critical time when the international community has been increasingly asking Israel to stop its atrocities and abandon its genocidal and punitive policies against the innocent people of Gaza, which is on the brink of famine. The resolution asks the two sides, Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas, to declare a cease-fire for the remainder of the fasting month of Ramadan, that is for two weeks, and the release of all hostages seized in Operation Al-Aqsa Flood on Oct. 7. This resolution is a significant step taken by the U.N. Now, we will wait and see whether Israel will abide by the resolution. We should not forget that the UNSC resolutions are part of international law and are binding on all the members of the U.N. It is the legal responsibility of the UNSC members to implement the resolution immediately. Within this context, reacting immediately after the vote, U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said on X: “The Security Council just approved a long-awaited resolution on Gaza, demanding an immediate cease-fire, and the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages. This resolution must be implemented.” So the U.N.’s failure to implement the resolution “would be unforgivable.”

U.N. pressure on Israel: Urgency for cease-fire

Considering that Israel has not implemented a single U.N. decision so far, one should not be optimistic about the successful implementation of the latest resolution. Naturally, the UNSC and global powers must impose pressure on Israel to abide by the decision. If Israel does not implement the resolution, as reported by the U.N. Special Rapporteur on the Occupied Palestinian Territories Francesca Albanese, all U.N. members should immediately impose an arms embargo on Israel and introduce other economic and political measures to ensure an immediate cease-fire. Israel reacted strongly to the UNSC resolution and especially to the U.S. decision not to veto the resolution. Israel had been receiving unconditional support from the U.S. government. However, the cost of the Israeli atrocities continues to rise for the U.S. Therefore, the U.S. government asks Israel to end its military operation. In return, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu claimed that he would not listen to the U.S. officials and decided to expand the military operation to Rafah. Due to the new U.S. position, the Israeli government has decided not to send the high-level delegation to Washington to discuss the future of Israeli military operations. White House spokesperson John Kirby stated that they were disappointed by Netanyahu’s decision. However, the Palestinian side, both Hamas and the Palestinian Authority (PA), has welcomed the resolution. Palestinians expect that Israel will stop its atrocities in Palestine, allow the entry of humanitarian aid to Gaza, release Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails and prevent forced displacement of Palestinians. Hamas has stated that it is ready “to engage in immediate prisoner swaps on both sides.” We hope that this resolution will become a turning point that will end the inhumane Israeli operation against Palestinians. It is largely up to the Western global powers such as the U.S., and the United Kingdom must ensure that there is compliance with the resolution. It is important to implement the resolution and allow humanitarian aid into Gaza. [Daily Sabah, March 25, 2024]