The United Nations Security Council has adopted a resolution denouncing attacks on UN personnel and aid workers in conflict zones, as a record number of UN personnel were killed in the Israeli war against the Gaza Strip.
The resolution, which calls on all countries to protect humanitarian workers in accordance with international law, was adopted on Friday with 14 votes in favor, zero against and one abstention.
“This resolution (sends) a strong message,” said Pascale Baeriswyl, the U.N. ambassador to Switzerland, who proposed the measure.
“This resolution reaffirms the responsibility of the State and that of the parties to the conflict to respect and protect the civilian population and, more particularly, to respect and protect these men and women who work every day alongside those affected by the armed conflicts,” Baeriswyl told the council.
The resolution was adopted amid threats and attacks against aid workers in conflict zones across the world, including Sudan and Ukraine.
But since October, the Gaza Strip has seen an unprecedented number of deaths among UN staff and other aid workers.
More than 190 UN personnel have been killed in Israel’s war on Gaza, according to the world body’s latest figures, sparking widespread concern and calls for a permanent ceasefire in the Palestinian enclave besieged.
The Security Council ADOPTS a resolution on the protection of humanitarian and United Nations personnel; demands that all parties to the conflict fully respect their obligations under applicable international human rights and humanitarian law
Voting result
For: 14
Against: 0
Abstention: 1 (Russia) pic.twitter.com/mkEH6I5QBh– UN News (@UN_News_Centre) May 24, 2024
Robert Wood, the deputy US ambassador to the UN, said Friday that “the damage caused to the courageous workers who risk their lives to help Palestinian civilians (in Gaza) is unacceptable.”
Wood condemned the Palestinian group Hamas for capturing prisoners in Israel and holding them in the coastal enclave and said Israel must do “much more to prevent the death and injury of aid workers and security personnel.” UN”.
“We insist that all attacks on humanitarian staff in Gaza, whether directed against local or international staff, be fully investigated, and that those responsible for any wrongdoing be held fully accountable and publicly,” he said.
However, Washington faces calls to do much more to help achieve a ceasefire in Gaza, including by conditioning military and diplomatic support for Israel.
But the administration of US President Joe Biden continues to provide unwavering support to its main ally in the Middle East. Since October, the country has vetoed three separate efforts at the Security Council to secure a ceasefire.
Tel Aviv Tribune diplomatic editor James Bays noted that Friday’s resolution was adopted shortly after the International Court of Justice (ICJ) – the UN’s highest court – ordered Israel to immediately end its military offensive on the town of Rafah, south of Gaza.
Wood was questioned on his way to the Security Council about the ICJ ruling, Bays said, but the U.S. envoy had no immediate response.
“The decision of the International Court of Justice is exactly what the United States is asking for,” Bays reported.
“But this is a strong and binding international law decision, and it puts Israel in a difficult situation – and diplomatically, ultimately, the United States has supported Israel at every turn since October 7. »
At the same time, the International Committee of the Red Cross (ICRC) welcomed the adoption of the Security Council resolution on Friday.
The motion, the ICRC said in a statement, constitutes “a clear reminder of the absolute necessity and obligation for all parties to armed conflict to respect and protect humanitarian personnel, their premises and their property.”
“Just as the civilian population pays an increasingly unbearable price in today’s conflicts, so do humanitarian personnel, who face daily risks such as verbal threats and intimidation, disappearances, serious injuries and death,” the committee said.
“The unacceptable price paid by humanitarian personnel must end, and only the concrete and vigorous application of this resolution will make a difference on the ground. »