The United States, key allies, and Arab nations are engaged in high-level diplomacy to avoid another US veto of a UN resolution on aid to Gaza, with a vote now expected on Thursday morning. The US has been working to alter the text's references to a cessation of hostilities in the Israel-Hamas war, as well as the inspection of aid trucks entering Gaza.
President Joe Biden confirmed ongoing negotiations at the UN, stating, 'We're negotiating right now at the U.N. the contours of a resolution that we may be able to agree to.' The UAE's Ambassador Lana Nusseibeh expressed optimism, noting that additional diplomatic space could yield positive results.
Key sticking points include the protocol for searching trucks to ensure they carry only humanitarian goods, with the current draft proposing a UN role that Israel is likely to oppose. A US official said Secretary of State Antony Blinken would speak with his Egyptian and UAE counterparts to reach a consensus.
The draft resolution now calls for 'the urgent suspension of hostilities to allow safe and unhindered humanitarian access, and for urgent steps towards a sustainable cessation of hostilities.' It also calls for UN Secretary-General António Guterres to establish a mechanism for exclusive UN monitoring of aid deliveries, bypassing current Israeli inspections.
UN agencies report that 56% of Gaza's households are experiencing severe hunger, up from 38% two weeks earlier, as nearly 20,000 Palestinians have been killed since the war began. The UAE said if negotiations yield no results by Thursday, the council will proceed to a vote.
