Saudi Arabia Welcomes Security Council Gaza Ceasefire Resolution
The Kingdom of Saudi Arabia welcomed the passing of a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza during Ramadan, which leads to permanent and sustainable ceasefire and the parties’ abidance by the International Law. The resolution also includes releasing all the hostages and allowing more humanitarian aid in Gaza.
In a statement released by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of KSA, the Kingdom “renews its responsibility to stop the Israeli occupation’s attacks on civilians in the Gaza Strip.” It reiterated the importance of ending the suffering of the Palestinian people and the Palestinian’s rights to safety and self-determination. It further stressed the Palestinian’s right to establish their state within 1967 borders with East Jerusalem as its capital according to the Arab Peace Initiative.
The UN Security Council passed resolution no.2728 calling for a ceasefire in Gaza during Ramadan yesterday, Monday. Fourteen countries voted in favor to none against while the United States of America abstained.
US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield said that the US abstained from voting in favor of the resolution because it “did not agree with everything.”
This is the first time for the Security Council to call for a ceasefire since the beginning of the war.
This resolution follows an earlier US resolution issued last Friday that called for a ceasefire in Gaza. China, Algeria and Russia voted against the resolution in the UN Security Council; while eleven members voted in favor of it. Since China and Russia are permanent member in the council, their votes were considered as vetoes.
“Regrettably, the United States did not veto the new resolution,” said a statement from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The Prime Minister decided to cancel a visit of a delegation that was scheduled to go to Washington this week. Israel’s defence minister said that Israel will not stop the war in Gaza.
Hamas welcomed the resolution and announced that it is ready to exchange prisoners to release prisoners on both sides.
“It has taken six months, over 100,000 Palestinians killed and maimed, two million displaced, and famine, for this council to finally demand an immediate ceasefire,” said the Palestinian representative to the UN Riyad Mansour.
The US has vetoed previous resolutions calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, until last Friday when it issued its own ceasefire resolution tied to the release of hostages.
US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said that the US abstaining does not mean a “ shift in our policy.” He affirmed that although the US supports a ceasefire, it did not vote in favor because the resolution did not condemn Hamas.
“We have been very clear, we have been very consistent in our support for a ceasefire as part of a hostage deal. That’s how the hostage deal is structured, and the resolution acknowledges the ongoing talks,” said Kirby.
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