US, EU ratchet up pressure on Israel over Gaza ceasefire; UN vote planned
Al Jazeera
Security Council expected to vote on Friday on US-drafted ceasefire resolution with talks to continue in Qatar.
The United Nations Security Council is expected to vote as soon as Friday on a United States-drafted resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza as the European Union called for a “humanitarian pause”, adding to the pressure on Israel to end its five-month-long bombardment of the Palestinian territory.
Washington, Israel’s staunchest ally, has been gradually hardening its tone following its early solid support for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his war in Gaza.
The latest draft resolution marks a further toughening of Washington’s approach amid rising global condemnation of a war in which some 32,000 Palestinians have been killed.
UN experts have also warned of an imminent famine as a result of Israel’s blockade.
The draft US text describes an “immediate and sustained ceasefire” as an imperative to protect civilians and allow for the delivery of humanitarian aid. A ceasefire would also be conditional on the release of some of the remaining captives taken by Hamas in its attack on Israel on October 7.
