An Arab draft resolution in the Security Council calls for a ceasefire in Gaza, and Russia rejects an American draft News

A diplomatic source told Al Jazeera that the Arab group at the United Nations distributed a draft resolution calling for a ceasefire in GazaWhile Russia rejected an American draft resolution that merely calls for humanitarian truces.

The diplomatic source added that the draft Arab resolution, which was distributed late Tuesday evening, calls for facilitating the arrival of humanitarian aid to Gaza, and also strongly rejects any attempts to forcibly transfer the Palestinian civilian population.

According to the same source, the Arab draft resolution emphasizes the necessity of accelerating the establishment of a mechanism to ensure the protection of the Palestinian civilian population, in accordance with international law and United Nations resolutions.

During its session UN Security Council Yesterday, the foreign ministers of Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Algeria, and Jordan called on the Council to take serious action to establish an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

In a press conference in New York, Saudi Foreign Minister Faisal bin Farhan described the situation in Gaza as catastrophic, and called for an immediate ceasefire, the entry of humanitarian aid, and an end to the siege on Gaza.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry also called for an immediate and sustainable ceasefire and an end to forms of collective punishment and forced displacement of Palestinians, stressing his country’s refusal to liquidate the Palestinian cause.

In this context, Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki said that the Council’s continued failure to stop the massacres in Gaza is unacceptable.

The UN Security Council is divided over developments in Gaza, as the United States opposes calls from other countries for a ceasefire, and a Russian and a Brazilian draft resolution have so far been aborted.

American-Russian rivalry

Meanwhile, US Secretary of State Anthony Blinken called on the Security Council to support a new draft resolution prepared by his country and said that it takes into account the positions of Council members in recent days.

During the Security Council session, Blinken called for discussing humanitarian truces to allow aid to enter the Gaza Strip, without it benefiting from it. Hamas, As he put it, he called for the release of those he described as hostages in Gaza immediately and without any conditions.

Agence France-Presse said that the American draft resolution affirms “the right of all countries” to defend themselves and calls for adherence to international law. It also calls for “suspension of (bombing operations) for humanitarian reasons” to make way for aid to enter, without calling for a ceasefire.

Russia was quick to announce its opposition to the American draft resolution, and its representative to the United Nations, Vasily Nebenzia, said that there is an urgent need for a quick and unconditional ceasefire between the two sides of the conflict, while the American draft does not include that.

Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry also criticized the American draft resolution, and expressed his surprise at any new attempts to issue resolutions that do not include demands for a ceasefire to prevent the situation from sliding into further deterioration.

A week after a Russian draft resolution on Gaza did not obtain sufficient votes, Moscow distributed another draft resolution in the Security Council demanding a ceasefire and facilitating the access of humanitarian aid to Gaza.

Russian delegate Vasily Nebenzia called for an end to the violence in Gaza and the immediate release of all “hostages,” warning that the current conflict would lead to engulfing the region and expanding its scope.

Commenting on the ongoing movement in the Security Council, Hamas said that the Council seemed unable to take a decision obligating Israel to stop the aggression.

Last week, the United States used its veto power.Veto) Against a Brazilian draft resolution calling for a humanitarian truce.