The UN Security Council passed a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza for the remainder of Ramadan, following the US abstention from the vote.
The resolution, backed by 14 nations except the US, also calls for the release of all captives held in Gaza and lifting all barriers to the provision of humanitarian assistance at scale.
The US abstention does not represent a shift in policy, as it lacked language the White House wanted, including a condemnation of Hamas. Russia and China had vetoed a US proposal last week calling for a ceasefire tied to the release of Israeli hostages.
The measure passed on Monday still demands the hostages’ release, but does not directly link it to a ceasefire. The US has shielded its ally from censure at the UN as international opinion turns against Israel.
The resolution has been the work of the council’s non-permanent members, who negotiated with the United States over the weekend to avoid another veto. The new text also deplores “all attacks against civilians and civilian objects, as well as all violence and hostilities against civilians, and all acts of terrorism.”
