The United Nations Security Council is set to vote on a Brazilian resolution calling for humanitarian pauses in the conflict between Israel and Palestinian militants Hamas to allow aid access to the Gaza Strip.
The council is also expected to discuss the recent Gaza hospital blast, which killed hundreds of people. Palestinian U.N. envoy Riyad Mansour blamed Israeli forces for the attack, while Israel’s U.N. Ambassador Gilad Erdan accused the Palestinian Islamic Jihad militant group of responsibility.
The 15-member council was originally scheduled to vote on the Brazilian draft but was postponed 24 hours to allow more time for negotiations. The Brazilian draft of a resolution condemning Hamas’ terrorist attacks on civilians in Gaza has been passed, despite the US’s veto power. The draft text urges Israel to rescind its order for Gaza civilians to move south of the Palestinian enclave.
Israel ordered 1.1 million people in Gaza to move south as it prepares for a ground offensive in retaliation for the worst Hamas attack in Israel’s 75-year-old history. The Brazilian draft is a more detailed version of a Russian text that failed to pass in a vote on Monday but specifically condemns Hamas’ terrorist attacks. Instead of calling for a ceasefire, it calls for humanitarian pauses to allow aid access to Gaza.
