UN Security Council postpones vote on new ceasefire in Gaza Strip

According to the original plan, the UN Security Council is expected to vote at 5:00 p.m. on December 18 (New York time - 5:00 a.m. on December 19, Vietnam time) on a draft resolution calling for a new ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and allowing humanitarian aid to reach the people in this territory. The draft resolution was drafted and proposed by the United Arab Emirates (UAE). The draft calls for an immediate and sustainable ceasefire to end hostilities. In addition, this document also affirms support for the two-state solution, emphasizing the importance of unifying the Gaza Strip with the West Bank and placing it under the administration of the Palestinian Authority.

However, diplomatic sources said that diplomats at the UN failed to find common ground. To be adopted, the draft resolution needs at least nine votes in favor and no vetoes from any of the five permanent members of the Security Council: Russia, China, the US, France and the UK. On December 8, the US vetoed a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, despite UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres’ earlier calls for action on the issue. The US explained that the draft contained no reference to Hamas.

Regarding the situation in Gaza, on December 16, commercial trucks entered the strip for the first time since the Hamas-Israel conflict on October 7. Responding to reporters on December 18, US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said that this was an important step to improve the lives of Palestinians in the Gaza Strip. Now, in addition to humanitarian aid shipments, people can access commercial goods on the market. Mr. Miller said that these were mainly food trucks, but did not specify how many such trucks there were or which country they were operating. The spokesman emphasized that this was the result of diplomatic efforts by US officials.