Exploring Israel’s compliance: The role of Security Council’s permanent members

A United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution calling for an urgent truce between Israel and Hamas, the Palestinian organization, in Gaza has been greeted with enthusiasm by several international leaders. The resolution received votes from 14 out of the council members, with the United States abstaining from the voting. The resolution, which the US stated it would not support in its entirety, asks for an immediate ceasefire to be implemented throughout the two-week-long Muslim holy month of Ramadan. It demands that the ceasefire result in a lasting peace, that all hostages held by Hamas in Gaza be released, and that both sides obey international law regarding detentions.

Overview of the Security Council

Adopting the resolution, according to the ministry, is a positive step toward ending the five-month conflict, allowing aid to enter the area, and starting the process of reunifying the displaced. The ministry also urged UNSC members to carry out their legal obligations by putting the resolution into effect right now. The ministry emphasized the need of guaranteeing the entry of supplies, striving to release detainees, and avoiding forced relocation in addition to obtaining a durable truce that lasts beyond Ramadan. “It’s a step in the right direction leading towards the end of the ongoing massacre in Palestine,” stated Saidam of the resolution.

“The agreement we saw today ought to open the door for the State of Palestine’s independence and the full acknowledgement of the Palestinian people’s long-overdue rights,” said Saidam. Hamas, a Palestinian organization, declared its commitment to the resolution’s terms and demanded that Israel be held responsible for upholding them.

Importance of Israel’s compliance

Senior leader in Hamas’s political bureau Basem Naim stated that the international community must hold Israel accountable and put a stop to the organization’s discriminatory practices. The organization also emphasized the need for a long-term truce that results in the evacuation of all Israeli soldiers from the Gaza Strip and said that it is prepared to start an instantaneous exchange procedure that frees captives on both sides. Erdan said that the resolution undermines the efforts to secure their release since it did not demand a ceasefire without conditioning it on the release of prisoners in Gaza. Netanyahu called off an Israeli delegation’s trip to Washington, DC, which the US had invited to address concerns about an Israeli assault on Rafah, a populated city in southern Gaza, shortly after the resolution was approved.

Role of Security Council permanent members

According to the prime minister’s office, the US abstention was “a clear retreat from the consistent position of the US” and would harm Israel’s military operations and attempt to free the hostages that Hamas is still holding. In a statement, the White House stated that Washington’s decision to abstain from the vote does not represent a shift in our policy but we could not support it because the final text does not have the language that we think is essential, like a condemnation of Hamas. 

US officials were extremely disappointed about Netanyahu’s decision not to send his advisers for talks at the White House about the Rafah operation, according to White House spokesperson John Kirby. The United States ultimately made the decision to discontinue undermining the council’s calls for an early ceasefire after repeatedly vetoing the council’s decisions. In spite of this, the US persisted in accusing China and trying to come up with various justifications.

Regional stability concerns

Moscow believes that the resolution would be applied in the “interests of peace,” according to Nebenzya. According to De Riviere, the resolution’s approval demonstrates that the UNSC is still capable of acting when all of its members make the necessary effort to discharge their mandate. The Security Council was growing increasingly silent over Gaza. It is now imperative that the council help find a solution at last. 

To put a halt to the slaughter in Palestine, each member state must do its part. The world community has exerted pressure on Israel to cease its acts of genocide. For example, the International Court of Justice’s genocide case against Israel, the several governments that took part in the oral hearing on the ICJ’s advisory opinion about the legitimacy of the occupation, and Israeli policies and practices in the occupied Palestinian territories.

Conclusion

In conclusion, The five permanent members of the council must be willing to follow the international community’s conscience and work together to guarantee Israel complies in order for this aspiration to be realized. To ensure a future free from injustice and violence, governments must follow the values of justice and preserve everyone’s rights.