The UN Security Council once again pushed back a vote for a much-delayed resolution on the war between Hamas and Israel. The postponement to Friday came even as the United States, which has opposed a number of proposals during the resolution's drafting, said it was ready to support it in its current form.  The war in Gaza has killed more than 20,000 Palestinians, health officials in the Hamas-run territory have said, a new reflection of the staggering cost of Israel’s military offensive as pressure grows to scale it back. The figure amounts to nearly 1% of the territory’s population before the start of the war, which has displaced nearly 85% of Gaza’s people and levelled wide swaths of the tiny coastal enclave. Gaza’s Health Ministry said it has documented 20,057 deaths in the fighting. It does not differentiate between combatant and civilian deaths. It previously said that roughly two-thirds of the dead were women or minors. It said 53,320 Palestinians have been wounded.  The United Nations Security Council was poised on Friday to vote on a much-delayed resolution concerning the Israel-Hamas war after Washington signalled support following resistance to earlier draft proposals.

After days of delays, the latest draft version seen calls for "urgent steps to immediately allow safe and unhindered humanitarian access, and also for creating the conditions for a sustainable cessation of hostilities." It does not call for an immediate end to fighting. US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield told reporters Thursday evening that "if the resolution is put forward as is, then we can support it." She denied that the draft resolution had been watered down, saying it was "very strong" and "fully supported by the Arab group." The United Nations warned the Israel-Hamas war was pushing Gaza towards famine, ahead of an expected Security Council vote Friday on a resolution to boost aid to the Palestinian territory but not call for a ceasefire. Separate diplomatic efforts were also under way for a fresh pause in the worst-ever Gaza war, which was triggered by an unprecedented Hamas attack on Israel in October. With conditions deteriorating in the territory, the UN Security Council has been locked in negotiations on a resolution that would boost aid deliveries.

Credit: Independent News Pakistan (INP)