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United Nations Security Council Demands Immediate Ceasefire

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has demanded an immediate ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas in Gaza and the release of all hostages, as the United States abstained from the vote.

The remaining 14 council members voted in favour of the resolution, which was proposed by the 10 elected members of the council. There was a round of applause in the council chamber after the vote on Monday.

The resolution calls for an immediate ceasefire for the Muslim fasting month of Ramadan, which ends in two weeks, and also demands that Hamas free hostages seized on October 7 when it led an attack on Israel.

ÔÇ£The bloodbath has continued for far too long,ÔÇØ said Amar Bendjama, the representative of Algeria, the Arab blocÔÇÖs current member of the Security Council and a sponsor of the resolution. ÔÇ£Finally, the Security Council is shouldering its responsibility,ÔÇØ he said.

The US had repeatedly blocked Security Council resolutions that put pressure on Israel but has increasingly shown frustration with its ally as civilian casualties mount and the UN warns of impending famine in Gaza.

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US Abstains from Vote

Speaking after the vote, US ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield blamed Hamas for the delay in passing a ceasefire resolution.

ÔÇ£We did not agree with everything with the resolution,ÔÇØ which she says is the reason why the US abstained.

ÔÇ£Certain key edits were ignored, including our request to add a condemnation of Hamas,ÔÇØ Thomas-Greenfield said. She stressed that the release of Israeli captives would lead to an increase in humanitarian aid supplies into the besieged coastal enclave.

The White House said the final resolution did not have language the US deems essential and that the vote does not represent a shift in policy.

But Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin NetanyahuÔÇÖs office said the US failure to veto the resolution is a ÔÇ£clear retreatÔÇØ from its previous position, and would hurt war efforts against Hamas as well as efforts to release over Israelie hostages held in Gaza.

His office also said Netanyahu will not be sending a high-level delegation to Washington in light of the new US position.

US President Joe Biden had requested to meet Israeli officials to discuss Israeli plans for a ground invasion of Rafah in southern Gaza, where more than 1 million internally displaced Palestinians are sheltering.

White House spokesperson John Kirby said the US was ÔÇ£disappointedÔÇØ by the decision.

The ministry also stressed the importance of intensifying efforts to achieve a permanent ceasefire that extends beyond Ramadan, secure the entry of aid, work on the release Palestinian prisoners held in Israeli jails, and prevent forced displacement.

France called for more work on securing a permanent ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.

The latest vote comes after Russia and China vetoed a US-sponsored resolution on Friday that would have supported ÔÇ£an immediate and sustained ceasefireÔÇØ.

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