A vote on a bid to boost aid deliveries to Gaza Strip at the United Nations Security Council was delayed by another day as talks continue to avoid a third veto by the United States, reported Reuters quoting diplomats as saying.
A resolution drafted by the United Arab Emirates was scheduled to initially undergo voting on Monday by the 15-member council but has been repeatedly delayed as diplomats say that the UAE and US struggle to agree language citing a cessation of hostilities and a proposal to set up U.N. aid monitoring.
On being asked if they were getting close to an agreement, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield told reporters on Tuesday: "We're trying, we really are," added the Reuters report.
According to the draft resolution, Israel and Hamas are required to allow and facilitate land, sea and air deliveries of aid to and throughout the Gaza Strip and ask the United Nations to monitor humanitarian assistance arriving in the Palestinian enclave.
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As per the Reuters report, the US wants to tone down the language that "calls for the urgent suspension of hostilities to allow safe and unhindered humanitarian access, and for urgent steps towards a sustainable cessation of hostilities."
An earlier resolution demanding immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza was vetoed by the US on December 9 at the United Nations, backed by almost all the the other Security Council members and dozens of other nations.
The vote in the 15-member council was 13-1, with the United Kingdom abstaining, as reported by AP. France and Japan were among those supporting the call for a ceasefire.
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Washington had termed the resolution "imbalanced" and criticised the council after the vote for its failure to condemn Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel.
“Hamas has no desire to see a durable peace, to see a two-state solution,” U.S. deputy ambassador Robert Wood said.
“For that reason, while the United States strongly supports a durable peace in which both Israelis and Palestinians can live in peace and security, we do not support calls for an immediate cease-fire,” he added.