UN Security Council to vote on new Gaza ceasefire call

By: AFP
Published: 06:07 PM, 18 Dec, 2023
UN Security Council to vote on new Gaza ceasefire call
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The United Nations Security Council will vote Monday on a new resolution calling for an "urgent and sustainable cessation of hostilities" in Gaza, as Washington exhibits growing impatience with key ally Israel.


The vote comes days after the United States blocked a previous Security Council resolution that would have called for a "humanitarian ceasefire" in the battered Palestinian territory, where Israel continues its deadly strikes in retaliation for Hamas's unprecedented attack on October 7.


But in the General Assembly, the UN's 193 members voted overwhelmingly for a ceasefire, with 153 in favour -- exceeding the 140 or so countries that have routinely backed resolutions condemning Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.


The upcoming Security Council resolution was introduced by Arab countries that had come away from last Tuesday's General Assembly vote bolstered by such broad international support, though the latest text's fate remains uncertain.


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The new draft, drawn up by the United Arab Emirates and seen by AFP, calls for an "urgent and sustainable cessation of hostilities to allow safe and unhindered humanitarian access in the Gaza Strip."


It also affirms support for a two-state solution in the region and "stresses the importance of unifying the Gaza Strip with the West Bank under the Palestinian Authority."


In a move criticized by Israel and the United States, the draft does not explicitly name Hamas, though it does call for the "immediate and unconditional release of all hostages" and condemns "all indiscriminate attacks against civilians."


- 'Protect civilians' -


The Security Council has faced sharp international opprobrium as it has managed to pass only one resolution on Gaza since the start of the war, in which the 15-member body called for "humanitarian pauses" -- after five other resolutions were rejected, including two thanks to American vetoes.



According to diplomatic sources, negotiations on the new text continued Sunday in an effort to avoid another impasse, days after US President Joe Biden warned that Israel was at risk of losing international support due to its "indiscriminate" bombing of Gaza.


"The United States should now back those words by acting at the United Nations Security Council to pressure Israel, as well as Palestinian armed groups, to comply with international humanitarian law and protect civilians," Louis Charbonneau, the UN director at Human Rights Watch said, telling Washington: "Don't use vetoes to block resolutions aimed at stopping mass atrocities."


Security Council resolutions are technically binding, but are often ignored by the countries involved.


According to Gaza's Hamas-run health ministry, some 18,800 people, mostly civilians and children, have died since Israeli bombardment began in Gaza in retaliation for Hamas's October 7 attack, which Israel said left 1,139 people dead, also mostly civilians, and saw some 250 people kidnapped.


"In the face of such atrocities, there is only one moral position, one defensible position: Ceasefire now, ceasefire now, ceasefire now," Palestinian UN Ambassador Riyad Mansour said Friday.


But his Israel counterpart Gilad Erdan countered: "Calling for a ceasefire now, while (hostages) are still being held, is the most immoral thing to do."



WHO denounces 'destruction' of Gaza hospital


The head of the World Health Organization on Sunday denounced "the effective destruction" of the Kamal Adwan hospital in the north of Gaza, adding that at least eight patients had died.


Among the deceased patients was a 9-year-old child, said Tedros Adhanom Ghebreyesus in a post on X, formerly Twitter.


His statement came as the Israeli army pulled out of the hospital after an operation lasting several days, claiming it had been used as a command and control centre by Hamas.


Hamas has repeatedly denied such claims.


"@WHO is appalled by the effective destruction of Kamal Adwan hospital in northern #Gaza over the last several days, rendering it non-functional and resulting in the death of at least 8 patients," wrote Tedros.


"Many health workers were reportedly detained, and WHO and partners are urgently seeking information on their status," he added.


Israel's representative to the United Nations posted to X accusing Tedros of making no mention of "Hamas entrenchment in hospitals".


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Israel said that before entering the hospital, it had negotiated safe passage for the evacuation of most of the hospital.


The statement by Tedros said: "We learned that many patients had to self-evacuate at great risk to their health and safety, with ambulances unable to reach the facility.


"Of the deceased patients, several died due to lack of adequate health care, including a 9-year-old child.


"We are extremely concerned for the well-being of the internally displaced people who are reportedly sheltering in the hospital building."


All health care facilities in the Gaza Strip have been hit hard by the bombardments and ground invasion launched by Israel following Hamas's unprecedented attack October 7, which according to Israeli figures resulted in 1,140 deaths, mostly civilians, and the capture of around 240 hostages.



Killed Israeli hostage's brother says army 'murdered' him


An Israeli hostage mistakenly killed by soldiers in the Gaza Strip was buried on Sunday, with his brother accusing the army of having "abandoned" and "murdered" him.


Alon Shamriz, 26, was one of the three Israeli hostages shot dead Friday by soldiers during combat in the Gaza City district of Shejaiya, even as they carried a white flag and cried for help in Hebrew.


Shamriz, Yotam Haim and Samer El-Talalqa were killed when troops mistook them for a threat and opened fire, the army said.


"Those who abandoned you also murdered you after all that you did right," Ido, Shamriz's brother, said at the funeral attended by dozens of relatives and family members north of Tel Aviv.


"You survived 70 days in hell," Shamriz's mother, Dikla, said in her eulogy. "Another moment and you would have been in my arms."


Israeli media reported that Talalqa was buried on Saturday, while the funeral for Haim was scheduled on Monday.


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The deaths of the three men, all in their twenties, have sparked protests in Tel Aviv, where demonstrators demanded that the authorities offer a new plan for bringing home the remaining 129 hostages still held in the Gaza Strip.


On Sunday military spokesman Richard Hecht said the deaths were being investigated and what the soldiers did was "violation of the rules of engagement".


Late on Sunday, in a brief statement, the army said a search at a building adjacent to where the incident happened found signs calling for help.


The signs were made using "leftover food".


"Based on a field investigation, it appears that the three hostages were in the building where the signs were located for some period of time," the army said.


Photographs of initial findings from the building released along with the statement showed signs of "SOS" and "Help, three hostages".



Pope Francis deplores the death of two women in Gaza parish


Pope Francis on Sunday deplored the death of two women in a Catholic parish in Gaza, where he said "unarmed civilians" were being targeted by shootings and bombings.


He was speaking a day after the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem said a Christian mother and daughter had been shot dead by an Israeli soldier on the grounds of the Gaza Strip's only Catholic church.


"I continue receiving very serious and sad news about Gaza," the pope said at the end of the Angelus prayer. "A mother and her daughter... were killed and other people were wounded by the shooters.


"This has happened even within the parish complex of the Holy Family, where there are no terrorists, but families, children, people who are sick and have disabilities," the pope added.


The Israeli army told AFP that it had on Saturday been contacted by church representatives about an incident in the Holy Family Parish, but said that "no reports of a hit on the church, nor civilians being injured or killed, were raised.


"A review of the IDF's operational findings support this," it added.



Israel's army said it "does not target civilians, no matter their religion.


"The IDF takes claims regarding harm to sensitive sites with the utmost seriousness -- especially churches -- considering that Christian communities are a minority group in the Middle East," it added.


Saturday' statement from the Latin Patriarchate of Jerusalem said: "Around noon (1000 GMT) today... a sniper of the IDF (Israeli army) murdered two Christian women inside the Holy Family Parish in Gaza".


Christian families have been sheltering there since the Israel-Hamas war broke out, the patriarchate said.


"Nahida and her daughter Samar were shot and killed as they walked to the Sister's Convent. One was killed as she tried to carry the other to safety," it added.



- 'Shot in cold blood' -


Seven more people were wounded by gunfire as they tried to protect others, the statement said. "Some are saying 'this is terrorism and war,'" the pontiff said. "Yes, it is war, it is terrorism... let us pray to the Lord for peace," he added.


According to the Vatican press agency, citing Pierbattista Pizzaballa, the Latin patriarch of Jerusalem, the victims were an elderly woman and her daughter.


The patriarchate said no warning had been given before the shooting started, adding that they were "shot in cold blood".


The Gaza strip has been hard hit by bombardments and ground operations carried out by the Israeli army since the unprecedented October 7 attack by Hamas on Israeli territory.


The attack saw about 1,139 people killed, mostly civilians, and 250 hostages taken, according to the Israeli authorities' latest figures.


Aiming to eliminate Hamas, Israel has carried out a relentless bombardment of Gaza, alongside a ground invasion, that has killed more than 18,800 people, mostly women and children, according to the territory's Hamas government.



Israel army says biggest Hamas tunnel found


Israel's army said Sunday it had found a vast Hamas tunnel as it pressed its offensive in Gaza despite growing international calls for a ceasefire and pleas from relatives to bring home the remaining hostages.


The bloodiest ever Gaza war began with unprecedented Hamas attacks on southern Israel on October 7 and has devastated much of the Palestinian territory, sparking global concern.


Dozens more were killed in Israeli strikes on Sunday, said the health ministry in the Hamas-run territory where authorities report more than 18,800 people, mostly women and children, have been killed.


Most of Gaza's population has been displaced as homes are bombed and they struggle to find fuel, food, water and medicine.


Israel's army said it had uncovered the biggest Hamas tunnel so far near the border crossing at Erez -- large enough for small vehicles to use, an AFP photographer reported.


Israel said the tunnel cost millions of dollars and took years to construct, featuring rails, electricity, drainage and a communications network.



- Hunger warning -


The United Nations estimates that 1.9 million Gazans -- around 80 percent -- have been displaced by the war. "I would not be surprised if people start dying of hunger, or a combination of hunger, disease, weak immunity," said Philippe Lazzarini, head of the United Nations agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA.


They have also faced repeated communications outages but on Sunday Gaza's main telecoms firm said mobile and internet service had been gradually restored after field teams fixed "the main damaged site."


- Searching for corpses -


In what was once the courtyard of Kamal Adwan hospital in northern Gaza, Palestinians waded through the rubble, searching for corpses.


The Hamas health ministry had reported on Tuesday that Israeli troops stormed the hospital during a days-long "siege." Israel's army said Hamas had used the facility as a command centre. It has made similar accusations about other hospitals, claims Hamas had denied.


Outside the hospital courtyard, which showed tank and bulldozer tracks, Abu Mohammed, who came to look for his son, stood crying.


"I don't know how I will find him," he said, pointing to the debris.


The Israeli government has come under growing pressure, including from its top ally the United States, but also from families of hostages, to either slow, suspend or end the military campaign.


Washington provides Israel with billions of dollars in military aid.


There are 129 hostages still in Gaza, Israel says, and relatives again rallied in Tel Aviv on Saturday to call for a deal to bring them home after the army admitted to mistakenly killing three of the captives in the territory.


On Sunday weeping relatives of one of the three men, Alon Shamriz, 26, wept and clung to each on grief at his burial near Tel Aviv.


At the funeral, Shamriz's brother said the government "abandoned" and "murdered you".


Israel's military has said the soldiers had violated rules of engagement.


Netanyahu said the killing of the three "broke the whole nation's heart" but that military pressure was necessary to bring back the other captives and win the war.


One hostage already freed, German-Israeli Raz Ben-Ami, 57, spoke of the "daily humiliation, mental, physical", she endured, including one meal a day and no proper toilets.


Qatar, which helped mediate a truce last month that saw 80 Israeli hostages exchanged for 240 jailed Palestinians, said there were "ongoing diplomatic efforts to renew the humanitarian pause".


But Hamas said on Telegram it was "against any negotiations for the exchange of prisoners until the aggression against our people ceases completely".


- Red Sea ship attacks -


The Gaza war has also seen violence spiral in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.


Israeli forces killed five Palestinians Sunday morning at a West Bank refugee camp, according to the Palestinian health ministry. Israel's army said air strikes had targeted militants who had endangered soldiers.


More than 290 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces or settlers in the West Bank since the war erupted, health officials say.


The war has also raised fears of a broader Middle East conflict.


Israeli forces and Iran-backed Hezbollah militants are exchanging regular fire across Israel's northern border with Lebanon.


Yemen's Iran-backed Huthi rebels, saying they want to pressure Israel, have launched attacks on passing vessels in the vital Red Sea shipping zone, forcing major companies to redirect vessels.


Israeli air strikes against targets near Damascus on Sunday wounded two Syrian soldiers, the Syrian defence ministry said.


Israel primarily targets Iran-backed forces and Hezbollah fighters, as well as Syrian army positions in the country, and has stepped up such attacks since October 7.

Categories : World

AFP

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