The United Nations Security Council has passed for emergency aid delivery for Gaza with thirteen votes in favor, and the United States and Russia abstaining.
“After days of delays, the United Nations Security Council adopted a resolution calling for crucial humanitarian supplies for Gaza on Friday, the same day the Palestinian death toll rose to more than 20,000 deaths.
The final resolution dropped language from an earlier draft that called for an ‘urgent cessation of hostilities’ to appease the U.S., which vetoed two previous resolutions. Instead, it calls for ‘urgent steps to immediately allow safe and unhindered humanitarian access, and also for creating the conditions for a sustainable cessation of hostilities’.
The final resolution passed after the U.S. abstained from the vote.
The 15-member council delayed the vote since Monday in the hopes of winning U.S. support. After days of negotiations, U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield told reporters on Thursday the U.S. would support the scaled-down language”. -USA Today
Although the abstainers in the United States and Russia each have a strong historical alliance with Israel, an increase in the flow of American aid into the Gaza Strip while U.S. support for Ukraine diminishes over time would be in the Russian Kremlin’s best interest.