UN Security Council passes resolution for ‘urgent humanitarian pauses’ in Gaza

The United Nations Security Council passed a resolution Wednesday, Nov. 15, calling for “urgent and extended humanitarian pauses” in the fighting in Gaza, allowing aid for civilians and the release of all the hostages taken by Hamas.

Our vote today translates into real human lives

Vanessa Frazier, UN ambassador of Malta

This comes as media outlets reporting that hostage negotiations are making progress.

According to reports, Hamas has agreed to a proposal that would see the release of 50 women and children abducted during the Oct. 7 terror attacks in exchange for the release of an unspecified number of women and children currently held in Israeli prisons; some news outlets say it would approximately be the same number of releases on both sides.

As part of the agreement, reports indicate there would be short-term, targeted pauses and an increase in humanitarian aid.

This was the first unified statement from the 15-nation council, but the vote was not unanimous as three countries, the United States, the United Kingdom, and Russia, abstained on the measure.

The U.S. and the UK were critical that the resolution did not condemn the terror attacks by Hamas on Israel.

U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield said she was “horrified” that some council members could not condemn the attacks.

Russia, which continues to battle Ukraine in its war, said the resolution should have called for a cease-fire. Both Palestinian and Israeli officials responded to the council’s actions.

Palestinian U.N. Ambassador Riyad Mansour said the council should have called for a ceasefire by now, saying what is happening in Gaza is a failure of humanity of terrifying magnitude.

“This madness must be brought to an end,” Mansour said. “It is time for peace.”

Millions in Gaza no longer have reliable access to safe water and sanitation.

These dire water and sanitation conditions can be life-threatening – especially among children.

UNICEF calls for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and unrestricted humanitarian access across Gaza. pic.twitter.com/lqAq5VLbC5

— UNICEF (@UNICEF) November 15, 2023

Israeli Deputy U.N. Ambassador Brett Jonathan Miller said the council’s resolution was “detached from the reality on the ground.”

“The resolution focuses solely on the humanitarian situation in Gaza. It makes no mention of what led up to this moment,” Miller said. “The resolution makes it seem as if what we are witnessing in Gaza happened of its own accord.”