The United Nations Security Council on Monday failed again to agree on a resolution on the Israel-Hamas war, The Associated Press reported.
Despite more than two hours of closed-door discussions, differences remained. The US is calling for “humanitarian pauses” while many other council members are demanding a “humanitarian ceasefire” to deliver aid and prevent more civilian deaths in Gaza.
“We talked about humanitarian pauses and we’re interested in pursuing language on that score,” US deputy ambassador Robert Wood told reporters after the meeting. “But there are disagreements within the council about whether that’s acceptable.”
The Security Council has continuously failed to pass a resolution on the Israel-Hamas war.
In late October, Russia and China vetoed a US-drafted UN Security Council resolution on the war between Israel and Hamas.
The draft condemned the October 7 Hamas attack on Israel, supports Israel’s right to defend itself, and calls for the unconditional release of hostages from Gaza.
Days earlier, a Russian-drafted UN Security Council resolution, that would have called for a humanitarian ceasefire in the war in Gaza, failed to pass after it did not achieve the minimum nine votes needed in the 15-member body.
The text was controversial because, while it referred to Israel and the Palestinian Arabs, it did not directly name Hamas, whose terrorists murdered at least 1,400 people in Israel on October 7.
The UN General Assembly recently approved a resolution urging an "immediate, lasting and sustainable humanitarian ceasefire" in the Gaza Strip, but resolutions passed by the General Assembly are not binding.
China, which holds the Security Council presidency this month, and the United Arab Emirates, the Arab representative on the council, called Monday’s citing the “crisis of humanity” in Gaza.
UAE Ambassador Lana Nusseibeh said all 15 council members “are fully engaged” and efforts will continue to try to narrow the gaps and reach agreement on a resolution, according to AP.