The U.N. Security Council delayed a much-anticipated vote on Gaza aid resolution for the fourth time.
The council circulated the latest draft for closed-door discussion. However, many member countries said they first needed to consult with their capitals before voting. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield says the U.S. can back the latest text.
The U.S., Egypt, and the United Arab Emirates negotiated the compromise, which backs a two-state solution to the war. But the draft eliminates a ceasefire demand that many other member nations still support. Instead, it calls for “creating the conditions for a sustainable cessation of hostilities.”
The proposal also axes a clause that would have given the U.N. an exclusive right to monitor aid shipments to Gaza. Instead, the U.N. is to appoint a humanitarian coordinator who will develop a “mechanism” to expedite aid.
The U.S. ambassador denies that the resolution has been watered down. Just this afternoon the Security Council passed the resolution, with the US and Russia abstaining.