The UN Security Council approved a resolution Wednesday calling for “urgent and extended humanitarian pauses and corridors throughout the Gaza Strip,” marking the first time a resolution on the issue has passed since the start of the Israel-Hamas war on October 7.
The 15-member body passed the resolution, which had been introduced by Malta, by a margin of 12 votes to zero after four earlier resolutions failed to pass. The U.S., U.K. and Russia abstained.
The U.S. and U.K. reportedly abstained because the resolution didn’t explicitly condemn Hamas, while Russia abstained because it didn’t mention a cease-fire, the country’s ambassador said. Instead, it called for humanitarian pauses “for a sufficient number of days” to allow aid to reach civilians and for “the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages held by Hamas and other groups, especially children.” The UN Security Council
Over the past 40 days, Israel’s airstrikes and ground operations in Gaza have resulted in the reported deaths of more than 11,000 Palestinians, including over 4,500 children, according to the Palestinian Authority. The humanitarian crisis in the densely populated Palestinian territory intensified as Israel imposed a blockade, cutting off food, fuel, water, and electricity to 2.2 million Palestinians. This action was taken in response to mass Hamas attacks on October 7, during which militants allegedly killed 1,200 people and took over 240 hostages.
In recent days, Gaza’s largest hospital, Al-Shifa, faced a critical shortage of fuel to operate life-saving machines. Israeli officials asserted that Hamas had utilized the hospital for its operations, and Israeli troops reportedly conducted a raid on the facility, where thousands sought shelter. The Israel Defense Forces released overnight footage, claiming it showed Hamas weapons discovered inside the hospital, an assertion that Hamas denies.