The United Nations Security Council for the first time on Monday passed a ceasefire resolution for the Israel-Gaza War, with the United States, Israel’s ally which has vetoed previous bids, abstaining.
UN Resolution 2728, which demands an “immediate ceasefire” for the ongoing Muslim holy month of Ramadan that leads to a “lasting” truce, went through, with all other 14 Security Council members voting yes.
Diplomatic sources told Al Jazeera that “last-minute negotiations” had occurred before the convening of the Council, specifying that the US had asked for the text not to include the term “permanent” for a ceasefire, replacing it with the word “lasting.”
Russia at the last minute objected to the removal of the word “permanent” ceasefire and called a vote, which failed to gain passage.
The office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu announced that the scheduled visit of an Israeli delegation to Washington had been cancelled after the United States abstained from voting.
Prior to the meeting, Netanyahu had threatened that if the US doesn’t veto the UNSC resolution, he will be canceling his country’s delegation visits to the White House meetings, as reported by Israeli media.
UN chief António Guterres commented on the UNSC vote. “This resolution must be implemented. Failure would be unforgivable,” he said in a post on X.
The United States said that a ceasefire voted for Monday by the United Nations can “only” be implemented once Hamas begins releasing hostages it still holds.
“A ceasefire can begin immediately with the release of the first hostage,” Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US Ambassador to the UN, said after the United States, which vetoed previous drafts, abstained in the UN Security Council vote. “This is the only path to securing a ceasefire.”
Thomas-Greenfield says Hamas should “accept the deal on the table,” adding that a ceasefire could have come months ago if Hamas had released the captives. “We did not agree with everything in the resolution,” which she says is the reason Washington abstained.
Thomas-Greenfield stressed that the release of the hostages will lead to an increase in humanitarian aid in the Palestinian enclave.
Meanwhile, John Kirby, the spokesperson for the US National Security Council, stated that the US abstention from voting on the Security Council resolution “does not represent a shift in our policy.”
The French Ambassador to the UNSC stated that the adoption of the resolution showed that the Council can “still act when all of its members make the necessary effort to discharge their mandate.”
Drawing unusual applause in the often staid Security Council, all 14 other members voted in favor of the resolution which “demands an immediate ceasefire” for the ongoing Islamic holy month of Ramadan.
The resolution calls for the truce to lead to a “lasting, sustainable ceasefire” and demands that Hamas and other militants free hostages seized on October 7.
The successful resolution was drafted in part by Algeria, the Arab bloc’s current member on the Security Council, with a diverse array of countries including Slovenia and Switzerland.
The United States has vetoed previous bids for a ceasefire but has shown growing frustration with Israel, including its stated plans to expand its military operation to the packed southern city of Rafah.