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United Nations Security Council Resolution 2720

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UN Security Council
Resolution 2720
Rafah Border Crossing
Date22 December 2023
Meeting no.9,520
Subject2023 Gaza humanitarian crisis
Voting summary
  • 13 voted for
  • None voted against
  • 2 abstained
ResultAdopted
Security Council composition
Permanent members
Non-permanent members
← 2719 Lists of resolutions 2721 →

United Nations Security Council Resolution 2720, adopted on 22 December 2023, called for increased aid for the 2023 Gaza humanitarian crisis, including the provisioning of fuel, food, and medical supplies. It also explicitly demanded the opening of all Gaza border crossings to humanitarian aid, including the Kerem Shalom border crossing,[1] and proposed the immediate appointment of a Senior Humanitarian and Reconstruction Coordinator for Gaza.[2] The resolution received approval from 13 members, while Russia and the United States abstained from voting.

Background

The Gaza Strip has been experiencing a humanitarian crisis since the blockade of the Gaza Strip in 2005, a crisis which has been exasperated as a result of the Israel–Hamas war.[3][4] At the start of the war, Israel implemented a complete blockade on the Gaza Strip, which has resulted in significant shortages of fuel, food, medication, water, and essential medical supplies.[3][5] This siege resulted in a 90% drop in electricity availability, impacting hospital power supplies, sewage plants, and shutting down the desalination plants that provide drinking water.[6] Widespread disease outbreaks have spread across Gaza.[4]

Heavy bombardment by Israeli airstrikes caused catastrophic damage to Gaza's infrastructure, further deepening the crisis.[7] The Gaza Health Ministry reported over 4,000 children killed in the war's first month.[8] UN Secretary-General António Guterres stated Gaza had "become a graveyard for children".[a][11][12]

Procedures

Security Council Resolution 2712 was adopted on 15 November 2023, calling for humanitarian pauses in the fighting,[13][14] and a ceasefire took effect from 24 to 30 November.

The United Nations General Assembly passed (on 12 December 2023) a non-binding resolution with a repeated calling for an "immediate ceasefire" with 153 votes for, 23 abstentions and 10 against.[15]

Resolution 2720, proposed by the U.A.E, was originally scheduled for a vote on Monday 18 December; however, was delayed multiple times to allow for negotiations with the United States which would allow for the U.S. to not veto the resolution. It was reported that the reason for the delay was differences between the State Department and the White House.[16] The United States expressed reservation with the proposition for a U.N. monitored mechanisms for aid delivery,[17] whereas the United Kingdom explicitly endorsed the resolution.[18]

An amendment introduced by Russia, which would have reinstated the previous draft of the resolution that called for an "urgent suspension of hostilities", received 10 votes in favour and 4 abstentions but was vetoed by the United States.[19]

Voting record

  • Permanent members of the Security Council are in bold.
Approved (13) Abstained (2) Opposed (0)

Reactions

National representatives

  •  China: The Chinese ambassador to the U.N. Dai Bing welcomed the adoption of resolution but criticized its shortcomings and advocated for the "full use of Karem Shalom and the opening of other crossing points".[2]
  •  Egypt: The Egyptian ambassador to the U.N. Osama Mahmoud Abdelkhalek Mahmoud welcomed the resolution as “a step in the right direction”.[2]
  •  Israel: The government of Israel thanked the U.S. government for its support prior to the UN vote and foreign minister Eli Cohen stated that "Israel will continue to inspect, for security reasons, all humanitarian assistance to Gaza".[20] The Israeli ambassador to the U.N. criticized the resolution as "disconnected from reality",[21] and reiterated concerns that the UN had still not "issue[d] a single statement condemning Hamas and their atrocities".[2]
  •  Palestine: The Palestinian permanent observer to the U.N. Riyad Mansour declared that the "resolution is a step in the right direction. It must be implemented and must be accompanied by massive pressure for an immediate ceasefire".[2]
  •  Russia: The Russian ambassador to the U.N. Vasily Nebenzya criticized the resolution stating that the U.S. engaged in "blackmail" and made the resolution "toothless". It further stated that it was a "license to kill" and those that voted in favour would be complicit in the situation and that Russia would have vetoed the resolution were it not for the backing of Arab states.[22][2]
  •  U.S.: The U.S. ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield stated that the passage acted as a "glimmer of hope" and that it was "a very strong resolution", whilst also saying that the U.S. was "appalled" at the lack of condemnation of Hamas.[23][2]

Other reactions

Many organisations, including the International Rescue Committee, criticized the resolution due to the lack of a call for an immediate ceasefire, whilst Médecins Sans Frontières executive director Avril Benoît declared that the resolution "has been watered down to the point that its impact on the lives of civilians in Gaza will be nearly meaningless".[24][21][25] South Africa, in a statement referring Israel to the International Court of Justice for committing genocide and violating the Genocide Convention, called the resolution "ineffectual" and failing to "properly to address the situation on the ground" in Gaza.[26]

Impact

On 29 December, Al Jazeera reported a "sense of frustration" in Gaza following the passage of the resolution, stating that "People are now seeing more bombs, less food, and less humanitarian aid."[27] In March 2024, the Palestinian Foreign Ministry stated, "The failure of the Security Council to implement Resolution 2720 and its inability to guarantee the entry of humanitarian and medical aid on a constant basis to civilians in the Gaza Strip has no justification".[28]

See also

Notes

  1. ^ Israeli UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan responded directly to Guterres, stating, "Shame on [Guterres]... More than 30 minors – among them a 9 month-old baby as well as toddlers and children who witnessed their parents being murdered in cold blood – are being held against their will in the Gaza Strip. Hamas is the problem in Gaza, not Israel's actions to eliminate this terrorist organization."[9][10]

References

  1. ^ Fassihi, Farnaz; Levenson, Michael (22 December 2023). "Israel-Hamas War: U.N. Security Council Passes Gaza Aid Resolution as U.S. Abstains". The New York Times. ISSN 0362-4331. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  2. ^ a b c d e f g "Security Council adopts key resolution on Gaza crisis | UN News". news.un.org. 22 December 2023. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
  3. ^ a b Ioanes, Ellen (14 October 2023). "Gaza's spiraling humanitarian crisis, explained". Vox. Archived from the original on 14 October 2023. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
  4. ^ a b Marsi, Federica (14 October 2023). "Gaza doctors warn of a humanitarian catastrophe after Israeli attacks". Al Jazeera. Archived from the original on 14 October 2023. Retrieved 25 October 2023.
  5. ^ Gottbrath, Laurin-Whitney. "Gaza "fast becoming hell hole" on "brink of collapse" amid Israel strikes: UN". Axios. Archived from the original on 16 October 2023. Retrieved 16 October 2023.
  6. ^ Mellen, Ruby; Chen, Szu Yu (26 October 2023). "See how Israel's siege has plunged Gaza into darkness and isolation". The Washington Post. Archived from the original on 27 October 2023. Retrieved 27 October 2023.
  7. ^ "Gaza war inflicts catastrophic damage on infrastructure and economy". Reuters. 21 November 2023.
  8. ^ Al-Mughrabi, Nidal (6 November 2023). "Gaza death toll tops 10,000; UN calls it a children's graveyard". Reuters. Archived from the original on 7 November 2023. Retrieved 8 November 2023.
  9. ^ "UN says Gaza becoming". BBC. 6 November 2023. Archived from the original on 7 November 2023. Retrieved 7 November 2023.
  10. ^ "UN chief: Gaza has become 'graveyard for kids'; Israeli envoy calls for him to resign". The Times of Israel. Archived from the original on 8 November 2023. Retrieved 8 November 2023.
  11. ^ Nichols, Michelle. "UN chief says Gaza becoming a 'graveyard for children'". Reuters. Archived from the original on 11 November 2023. Retrieved 6 November 2023.
  12. ^ Abdulrahim, Raja (18 November 2023). "The War Turns Gaza Into a 'Graveyard' for Children". The New York Times. Retrieved 19 November 2023.
  13. ^ "U.N. Security Council calls rare General Assembly session on Ukraine". Xinhuanet. 16 November 2023. Retrieved 17 November 2023.
  14. ^ "Resolution 2712 (2023)". daccess-ods.un.org. Retrieved 25 November 2023.
  15. ^ "UN General Assembly votes by large majority for immediate humanitarian ceasefire during emergency session". news.un.org. 12 December 2023. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  16. ^ Borger, Julian (20 December 2023). "Biden administration policy differences reportedly behind delay in Gaza ceasefire vote at UN". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  17. ^ Nichols, Michelle (22 December 2023). "UN Security Council acts to boost aid to Gaza after US abstains". Reuters.
  18. ^ "Press release: The UK supports Security Council resolution 2720 on aid to Gaza". gov.uk. 22 December 2023. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
  19. ^ "UN approves watered-down resolution on aid to Gaza without call for suspension of hostilities". AP News. 22 December 2023. Retrieved 22 December 2023.
  20. ^ "Israel thanks US for support in talks prior to UN vote; FM says Israel to keep checking all aid into Gaza". timesofisrael.com. 22 December 2023. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
  21. ^ a b Graham-Harrison, Emma; Borger, Julian (22 December 2023). "UN security council backs resolution on large-scale aid to Gaza but not ceasefire". The Guardian. ISSN 0261-3077. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
  22. ^ "UN Security Council demands Gaza aid deliveries at scale". BBC News. 22 December 2023. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
  23. ^ "US Abstains, Allowing UN Security Council Resolution on Gaza to Pass". Voice of America. 22 December 2023. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
  24. ^ "UN Security Council resolution on Gaza crisis fails to address urgent needs". msf.org. 22 December 2023. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
  25. ^ "UN resolution on Gaza aid criticised as 'insufficient', 'meaningless'". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 23 December 2023.
  26. ^ South Africa (28 December 2023). Application Instituting Proceedings (PDF) (Report). International Court of Justice. pp. 40–41. Retrieved 30 December 2023. Press Release about report here
  27. ^ Mahmoud, Hani. "At least 30 people reported killed in Nuseirat and Maghazi refugee camps". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 29 December 2023.
  28. ^ "Palestinian Foreign Ministry condemns international community's inability to protect civilians". Al Jazeera. Retrieved 13 March 2024.
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