Emmanuel Ukudolo I Monday, March 25, 2025
NEW YORK – The United Nations, UN on Monday passed a resolution after so many failed attempts demanding for immediate ceasefire during the Ramadan and release of hostages held in the Gaza Strip.
Fourteen members of the UNSC voted in favour of the resolution, while the United States abstained on the ground that the resolution did not condemn Hamas for the October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.
The United States has so far vetoed 47 security council resolutions against Israel. Just as the UNSC was voting, the Prime Minister of Israel, Benjamin Netanyanwu threatened to pull away from sending delegations to Washington to brief President Joe Biden if it fails to veto the resolution for immediate ceasefire on Gaza.
Speaking after the adoption of the resolution, Algerian representative to the UN, Ambassador Amar Bendjama thanked members of UNSC for voting to stop the ongoing massacre in Gaza.
According to her, over the past 5 months the Palestinian people have suffered an immense bloodbath and that this bloodbath has continued for far too long.
“It is our obligation to put an end to it before it is too late. Finally, the UNSC is shouldering its responsibility as the primary organ responsible for maintaining international peace and security – it is finally responding to the call of the international community, not only from the international community but also from UN secretary general.
“We renewed our support to this just cause despite the heinous campaigns that were launched against him. When we voted on the draft resolution tabled by Algeria last month, we promised that we will spare no effort, we will continue to walk hard to make sure that the UNSC is abiding by its full responsibility, we also promised that we will come back again once more to knock on the door of the UNSC, here we are all 10 elected members convey clear message to Palestine, that the international community in its entirety, did not abandon you, feels your suffering, it did not abandon you. Mr. president, adopting today’s resolution is only the beginning to meet the aspiration of the Palestinian people.
“We look forward to the commitment and compliance with the Israeli occupying power to put an end to this bloodbath without condition to end the suffering of the Palestinian people” , he said adding that it is the responsibility of the UNSC to ensure implementation of the resolution.
“I affirm that Algeria will return once more under the instruction of the President of the Republic to ensure that Palestine returns as a full fledged member, a sovereign state of the UN”, he said.
In her reaction, US representative to the UN, Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield expressed her deepest condolences to families of the terror attack in Moscow.
“Today, colleagues spoke in support of ongoing diplomacy led by the US, Qatar and Egypt. We support this objective. They were the foundation of the resolution we put forward last week, vetoed by Russia”, she said, adding “we believe it is only through diplomacy that we can push the deal, we are getting close to ceasefire and release of hostages”, she said, adding that ceasefire will have come about last month but for Hamas.
“We call on member states to speak out unequivocally that Hamas accepts this deal. I don’t expect the same from China and Russia because they refused to condemn Hamas’ attack on Israel”, she said, adding “we did not vote because we did not agree with everything in the resolution.
“Condemnation of Hamas was not added”, she said, adding that the ceasefire and release of hostages will allow for humanitarian aid to get into Gaza.
Earlier attempt by Russia to alter the draft resolution to pave way for insertion of immediate and permanent ceasefire failed to sail through council vote. The US voted against it while the UK abstained.
Reacting to the development, Representative of Palestine said:
“Today’s historic vote by the Security Council for a #ceasefire and an end to Israel’s crimes is a first step towards justice. The resolution is binding. The State of #Palestine is grateful for the E10 for their leadership”.
