UN postpones vote on Brazil’s proposal for war between Israel and Hamas

The United Nations Security Council postponed until this Wednesday (18), at 11 am, the vote on Brazil’s proposal to spare civilians in the war between Israel and Hamas, interrupt the displacement of Palestinians from the North to the South of the Gaza, free hostages held by the terrorist group and allow humanitarian actions in the region attacked by Israeli forces.

The text of the resolution would be voted on this Monday (16), but was postponed at the request of the United Arab Emirates. The new postponement comes amid international commotion over the destruction of a Baptist hospital in Gaza City, whose authorship is the focus of controversy.

While the Arab community accuses Israel of hitting the site, Israeli authorities say that the rocket came from the Islamic Jihad terrorist group and landed in the hospital due to a failed launch – videos show that artifacts were released when the explosion occurred.

Earlier, a group of Arab ambassadors directly accused Israel of destroying the site, where around 500 civilians were sheltering, including people injured and under medical care. In an interview at the UN headquarters in New York, the diplomats called for an immediate ceasefire, allowing humanitarian aid throughout the Gaza Strip and prohibiting the displacement of the local population, a measure defended by Israel to attack Hamas facilities.

The Brazilian proposal addresses these last two points, but also nominally condemns Hamas for the “atrocious terrorist attacks” that began on the 7th against civilians in Israeli territory. “Any acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their motivations, whenever and by whomever they are committed”, says the proposed text (read in full below).

If on the one hand it demands “immediate and unconditional release of all civilian hostages, demanding for their safety, well-being and humane treatment in accordance with international law”, as Israel also demands; on the other, it demands the “protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, as well as humanitarian workers and assets and to allow and facilitate humanitarian access to essential supplies and services for those in need”.

Israel denies plans to attack medical care and civilian shelter sites, and says the objective is to destroy Hamas facilities, accused of forcing civilians to remain in these locations to be used as “human shields”.

During October, Brazil presides over the UN Security Council. To be approved, the proposed resolution needs at least 9 votes among the 15 member countries, including those that have a permanent seat in the body and with veto power: the United States, the United Kingdom, France, Russia and China. This Monday (16), the organization rejected a proposal from Russia.

Read the full text proposed by Brazil below – which may still change throughout the negotiations, which continue until this Wednesday morning (18):

“The Security Council,

“Guided by the purposes and principles of the Charter of the United Nations;

“Recalling resolutions 242 (1967), 338 (1973), 446 (1979), 452 (1979), 465 (1980), 476 (1980), 478 (1980), 1397 (2002), 1515 (2003), and 1850 (2008) and 2334 (2016);

“Reaffirming that any acts of terrorism are criminal and unjustifiable, regardless of their motivations, whenever and by whomever they are committed;

“Expressing deep concern about the escalation of violence and the deterioration of the situation in the region, in particular the resulting heavy civilian casualties, emphasizing that civilians in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories, including East Jerusalem, must be protected in accordance with international law humanitarian;

“Expressing deep concern about the humanitarian situation in Gaza and its serious effects on the civilian population, largely made up of children, highlighting the need for full, rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian access;

“Reiterating its vision of a region where two democratic States, Israel and Palestine, live side by side in peace, within secure and recognized borders;

“Recalling that a lasting solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict can only be achieved through peaceful means, based on its relevant resolutions.

1. “Strongly condemns all violence and hostilities against civilians and all acts of terrorism;
2. “Unequivocally rejects and condemns the atrocious Hamas terrorist attacks that took place in Israel from October 7, 2023 and the taking of civilian hostages;
3. “Demands the immediate and unconditional release of all civilian hostages, demanding their safety, well-being and humane treatment in accordance with international law;
4. “Urges all parties to fully comply with their obligations under international law, including international human rights law and international humanitarian law, including those relating to the conduct of hostilities, including the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, as well as workers and humanitarian assets and enable and facilitate humanitarian access to essential supplies and services for those in need;
5. “Strongly urges the continued, sufficient and unimpeded provision of essential goods and services to civilians, including electricity, water, fuel, food and medical supplies, emphasizing the imperative, under international humanitarian law, to ensure that civilians are not deprived of objects essential to their survival;
6. “Calls for the immediate revocation of the order for civilians and UN personnel to evacuate all areas north of Wadi Gaza and relocate to south Gaza;
7. “Calls for humanitarian pauses to enable full, rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian access for United Nations humanitarian agencies and their implementing partners, the International Committee of the Red Cross and other impartial humanitarian organizations, and encourages the establishment of humanitarian corridors and other initiatives to the delivery of humanitarian aid to civilians;
8. “Emphasizes the importance of a humanitarian notification mechanism to protect UN installations and all humanitarian sites, and ensure the movement of aid convoys;
9. “Calls for the respect and protection, in accordance with international humanitarian law, of all medical personnel and humanitarian personnel exclusively engaged in medical tasks, their means of transport and equipment, as well as hospitals and other medical facilities;
10. “Emphasizes the importance of preventing expansion in the region and, in this regard, calls on all parties to exercise maximum containment and all those with influence over them to work towards this goal;
11. “Decides to continue to deal with the matter.”