As the days pass and the war between Israel and Hamas continues unabated into its fourth month, the impotence of the United Nations in adopting measures to stop the bleeding in Gaza is becoming clearer than the deadlock of its Security Council and the growing isolation of the United States the organization, similar to what has been happening around Russia since the invasion of Ukraine at the end of February 2022. …
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As the days pass and the war between Israel and Hamas continues unabated into its fourth month, the impotence of the United Nations in adopting measures to stop the bleeding in Gaza is becoming clearer than the deadlock of its Security Council and the growing isolation of the United States of the organization, similar to that surrounding Russia since its invasion of Ukraine at the end of February 2022. Washington's veto of a draft humanitarian ceasefire resolution in the Council on December 8 and its opposition to that of a large majority in the General Assembly four days later has the superpower exposed: In the last vote, only nine other countries supported their rejection, all but Israel had little weight in the international concert. When it comes to the Gaza war, it is the United States alone against the world, or vice versa.
The Joe Biden administration's continued opposition to any measures implying a ceasefire or cessation of hostilities, even the provision of humanitarian assistance, has also torpedoed and slowed down the work of the Security Council, the body responsible for ensuring international peace and security . The normally scheduled agenda for meetings and appearances has been constantly changed in recent days, and the agenda has been postponed several times to allow time for negotiations.
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Differences between the United States and the rest of the Council led this Tuesday, for the second time in 24 hours, to the cancellation of a debate and vote on the latest resolution proposed by the United Arab Emirates seeking a cessation of hostilities to allow the delivery of to enable aid supplies to be sent to the population of the Gaza Strip, and, a novelty, a United Nations control mechanism to monitor distribution. This inspection appears to be the biggest point of friction in this Wednesday's negotiations, as the United States, like Israel, refuses to transfer control of aid inspection to the United Nations, a move that Washington defends in other wars and conflicts with humanitarian groups They believe it is important to provide them with supplies quickly enough. Israel is very reluctant to lose control of this process. Diplomatic sources point to the possibility of a new US veto.
The main points of the text, which has been under almost continuous review over the last 48 hours, are the call for “an urgent and sustained cessation of hostilities” to allow the delivery of aid, accompanied by the immediate deployment of the UN monitoring mechanism; In short: “full, rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian access” by land, sea and air. The text underlines the organization's deep concern “at the serious and rapid deterioration of the humanitarian situation” in Gaza and its “serious impact” on the region's civilian population, particularly women and children. It also recalls the obligation to “respect and protect medical and humanitarian personnel” and calls on the parties to comply with their obligations under international law.
Mention of Hamas and rejection of a ceasefire
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Despite the desperate appeals of Secretary-General António Guterres, who invoked Article 99 of the UN Charter to force a humanitarian ceasefire, the debate since the start of the war became mired in a Byzantine or semantic discussion about the terms of the text. Washington flatly rejects expressions such as “end, pause, cessation of fighting” and disagrees about the correct definition of how aid will be channeled: “corridor” and “humanitarian corridor” are some of the options to be discussed which adds a hypothetical veto from UN supervision. The United States, as Israel's voice in the Council, has set two red lines: any mention of a ceasefire or even a cessation of hostilities – whether, among other things, “sustainable”, “permanent” or “persistent” – to be taken into account by both countries that this is only the would benefit Hamas, and the addition of an explicit reference to the October 7 Hamas attacks that sparked the war. Added to this is their rejection of the monitoring of aid deliveries by the UN.
The near-final version of the draft – at least the one circulating this Tuesday – expresses a strong condemnation of “all acts of terrorism” that is likely to appear lukewarm in Washington. Furthermore, the text advocates a two-state solution and underlines the importance of unifying the West Bank and Gaza Strip under the Palestinian Authority (PNA). Another point of friction with Benjamin Netanyahu's government, which has already stated that it will not allow an ANP government in Gaza. Washington, on the other hand, has viewed this option as the preferable one.
Aside from its fierce defense of its Middle East ally, Washington has been left alone in the international community, a fact at odds with the White House's commitment to multilateralism after Donald Trump's four years of isolationism. Israel's red lines, drawn down to the millimeter by the US in the council – where the Israeli state is not represented – could, according to Arab diplomatic sources, derail the Emirati proposal this Wednesday if it is theoretically put to a vote. It would be the second time in two weeks that the U.S. representative had vetoed it, an image that highlighted his international isolation on December 8.
Driving the resolution, negotiations between the USA and the Emirates have intensified in the last few hours. “We are working throughout the entire process in a constructive and transparent manner to agree on an approvable text,” said a member of the US mission late on Monday evening with the usual diplomatic “langue de bois” (double speech). at the United Nations in statements to the Portal agency. But he added: “The UAE [Emiratos Árabes Unidos] “They know exactly what can and cannot be approved: it’s up to them whether they want to get it.”
On the 8th, Washington vetoed a Council resolution calling for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. The 193-member UN General Assembly called for a ceasefire four days later, 153 states voted in favor, but its decision lacks the binding nature of the Council's decision.
The blow to the United States' credibility in the United Nations could be final if it repeats its veto. A council resolution requires at least nine yes votes and no veto from the United States, France, China, Britain or Russia, the five permanent members of the UN's top body with veto power. The semantic loop into which the debate has fallen does not leave much hope for a practical outcome, and even less for the will of the United States to alleviate the suffering in Gaza, since, according to diplomatic sources, Washington is determined not to do so Undermining Israel's combat capability through an aid control mechanism.
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