After months of stalemate, the Security Council has finally passed a resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.
The document, which obtained 14 votes in favor (and the United States abstention) , «calls for an immediate ceasefire for Ramadan respected by all parties leading to a lasting and sustainable ceasefire and the immediate release and unconditional access to all hostages , as well as the guarantee of humanitarian access to meet their medical and humanitarian needs." The adoption of the measure was greeted with long applause.
«The UN Security Council has just passed a long-awaited resolution on Gaza, calling for an immediate ceasefire and the release of all hostages. This resolution must be implemented, failure would be unforgivable", commented United Nations Secretary General Antonio Guterres after the green light.
For his part, the spokesman for the American National Security Council, John Kirby , explained: «The abstention of the United States in the vote on the resolution on the ceasefire in Gaza does not change our policy». In fact, Kirby underlined that Washington "has always asked that the ceasefire be linked to the release of the hostages by Hamas".
Foreign Minister Antonio Tajani instead commented: «In Gaza we hope that there will be a ceasefire that will allow the release of the Israeli hostages and to bring humanitarian aid to the Palestinian civilian population. This ceasefire resolution was voted on at the UN, it is the first and this gives us hope and certainly represents a first positive step forward . I hope – added Tajani – that the negotiations for the release of the hostages proceed quickly and therefore we can look with more optimism at a less complicated situation which will then progressively lead to peace".
But the Tel Aviv government, through Foreign Minister Israel Katz, states: «Israel will not cease fire. We will destroy Hamas and continue fighting until the last of the hostages has returned home."
(Unioneonline/lf)