Is The New UN Resolution On Gaza A Game Changer? Perhaps Not.

In recent news, the UN Security Council has voted for a resolution calling for large-scale delivery of relief supplies to the besieged Gaza Strip, in order to contain the imminent threat of famine and epidemics. But there is a catch.

The resolution didn’t demand a suspension of hostilities, which was opposed by the US, which also insisted on removing a clause giving the UN exclusive control of humanitarian deliveries. It instead appealed for the creation of “conditions for a sustainable cessation of hostilities.”

The vote had been postponed four times before a version was produced on Thursday night. The Biden administration had noted it could support the update. On Friday, all Council members voted for the resolution put forward by the UAE, but the US and Russia abstained.

Millions Of Gazans Are Cold, Hungry And Ravaged By Disease

Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US ambassador to the UN, highlighted the country’s overwhelming support for the resolution, but raised concerns over the version lacking any condemnation of the October 7 Hamas attack that triggered the ongoing crisis.

Meanwhile, the Russian ambassador said Washington had rendered the resolution toothless. “The wording that is being put to a vote today has been extremely neutered,” Vasily Nebenzya said, adding the resolution left Israeli forces complete freedom of action.

Eleven weeks into the violence, roughly 85% of the enclave’s population has been displaced. Scores of Gazans are cold, hungry and ravaged by disease, crammed into overcrowded shelters and tented settlements, facing serious shortages of clean water and sanitation.

UAE’s Focus On Finding A Path Towards Comprehensive Peace

Half a million people – or a quarter of Gaza’s population – already face catastrophic hunger, amid the number expected to climb fast as the territory remains under blockade. The entire population faces “an imminent risk of famine,” the UN highlighted on Thursday.

The UAE has been regularly reiterating the need to find a path towards a just and comprehensive peace and stability in the region as well as to ensure the protection of civilians in accordance with international law and the secure and sustainable delivery of aid.

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Last week, President Sheikh Mohamed bin Zayed Al Nahyan spoke to his Turkish counterpart Recep Tayyip Erdogan by phone to bolster UAE-Turkey co-operation. The leaders exchanged views on international issues and emphasised the importance of a ceasefire.