Diplomats said the Security Council will vote Saturday on a new draft resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, but the US has hinted that it may veto it.
The vote will take place a day after the United governments proposed a statement on the need for a cease-fire, which was vetoed by Russia and China and opposed by Arab governments, who claimed it was insufficiently forceful in pressing Israel.
The vote on the resolution, driven in part by Algeria, the Arab nation currently on the 15-member Security Council, is scheduled for 10 a.m. (1400 GMT), according to three diplomats.
The draft resolution, seen by AFP, “demands an immediate ceasefire” for the ongoing Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which will lead to “a permanent sustainable ceasefire” supported by all parties.
It also wants the “immediate and unconditional” release of hostages detained in Hamas’ October 7 raid, as well as humanitarian access to the damaged Gaza Strip.
The resolution is co-sponsored by three European nations: Malta, Slovenia, and Switzerland, as well as Mozambique, Guyana, and Sierra Leone.