The United Nations Security Council agreed on a draft statement calling for a cease fire between the terrorists in Gaza and Israel, and will meet in an(0ther) emergency session at midnight, Sunday evening, July 27, east coast U.S. time.
The statement calls for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and also urges the parties to come to a “durable and fully respected ceasefire, based on the Egyptian initiative.”
Israel and Hamas are urged by the Security Council statement “to accept and fully implement the humanitarian cease-fire into the Eid period and beyond.” The meeting is taking place during the Eid al-Fitr Muslim holiday, which comes at the end of the fasting month of Ramadan.
The statement also calls on the parties “to engage in efforts to achieve a durable and fully respected cease-fire, based on the Egyptian initiative.”
The ceasefire is aimed at assisting the civilians in Gaza. It also commends U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry and U.N. Secretary General Ban ki-Moon.
There is no direct mention of Israel’s security from the dual terror threats of rockets from above and terrorism tunnels from below.
The statement expresses the hope for the parties “to achieve a comprehensive peace based on the vision of a region where two democratic states, Israel and Palestine, live side by side in peace with secure and recognized borders.”
It appears that the security council, along with most of the rest of the world, will continue to insist that two states be created whether or not there will be secure and recognized borders, and whether or not there is any correlation between the creation of a new state and peace in the region.
The presidential statement was drafted by the security council representative from Jordan, according to an AP report. A presidential statement requires the vote of all 15 members of the Security Council, but is not of the same stature as a security council resolution. Although the full council already agreed to approve the statement, the midnight meeting is necessary for all to vote.
The Security Council expresses grave concern regarding the deterioration in the situation as a result of the crisis related to Gaza and the loss of civilian lives and casualties.
The Security Council calls for full respect of international humanitarian law, including the protection of civilian population, and reiterates the need to take appropriate steps to ensure the safety and well-being of civilians and their protection.
The Security Council expresses strong support for the call by international partners and the Secretary-General of the United Nations for an immediate and unconditional humanitarian ceasefire, allowing for the delivery of urgently needed assistance, and they urged all parties to accept and fully implement the humanitarian ceasefire into the Eid period and beyond. The Security Council commends the efforts of the Secretary-General of the United Nations and the U.S. Secretary of State John Kerry for their efforts in this regard.
The Security Council also calls on parties to engage in efforts to achieve a durable and fully respected ceasefire, based on the Egyptian initiative. In this regard, the Security Council welcomes the convening of the international meeting to support the ceasefire held in Paris on July 26, 2014 and urges all concerned regional and international parties to vigorously support efforts to consolidate an agreement between the parties.
The Security Council emphasizes that civilian and humanitarian facilities, including those of the UN, must be respected and protected, and called on all parties to act consistently with this principle.
The Security Council calls for the full implementation of resolution 1860 (2009) and stressed the need for immediate provision of humanitarian assistance to the Palestinian civilian population in the Gaza Strip, including through urgent additional contribution to UNRWA. The Security Council recognizes and commends the vital role played by the Agency, along with other United Nations agencies and humanitarian organizations, in addressing the critical humanitarian needs in Gaza.
The Security Council urges the parties and the international community to achieve a comprehensive peace based on the vision of a region where two democratic states, Israel and Palestine, live side by side in peace with secure and recognized borders as envisioned in Security Council resolution 1850 (2008).