UN cease-fire resolution is ‘long overdue’ but needed to relieve suffering in Gaza: Amnesty International

By Esra Tekin

ISTANBUL (AA) - To alleviate suffering in Gaza and ensure a lasting cease-fire, implementation of the just-passed UN Security Council’s “overdue resolution” is critical, said Amnesty International on Monday.

“This resolution is long overdue, but in order to truly relieve the toll on civilians and address the mass devastation and suffering in Gaza, it is vital that it is implemented immediately and leads to an enduring ceasefire,” said Agnes Callamard, the group’s secretary general, in a statement.

Stressing that “there's not a moment to waste,” Callamard urged Israel to stop its "brutal bombing campaign in Gaza" and facilitate the delivery of humanitarian aid.

“Israel and Hamas and other armed groups must also work to ensure that the ceasefire is durable,” she added on the resolution, which calls for a cease-fire during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which ends on April 9.

She also urged the two parties to urgently free hostages including “all Palestinians arbitrarily held in Israeli prisons, civilians from Gaza.”

“Palestinians in Gaza are at risk of genocide, more than 32,000 people have been killed, children have been starved to death amid an imminent Israeli-engineered famine and vast swathes of the Strip have been rendered uninhabitable due to Israel’s brutal bombing campaign,” she added.

She also said a political pressure shift is needed, including an immediate, complete arms embargo to ensure a lasting cease-fire and transform Gaza's dire conditions.

Callamard added that in recent weeks, the UN Security Council voting has devolved into a political charade, leading to dire consequences for civilians, as permanent members like the US and Russia “abuse” their veto powers to thwart opposing resolutions.

She called on the global community to set aside political maneuvers and prioritize saving lives by ensuring this resolution establishes a lasting ceasefire.

“For its part, the USA, which prior to this had vetoed three resolutions demanding an immediate ceasefire, should suspend arms transfers to Israel and use its status as Israel’s key ally to get Israel to agree to a sustained ceasefire and allow unfettered access for humanitarian aid to Gaza,” she concluded.

Monday’s passage of the resolution has been months in the making, with several such resolutions failing due to vetoes by the UN’s permanent members, notably including the US and Russia.

There is no way to enforce the resolution, but cease-fire proponents hope its moral force and the possibility of international condemnation will push Israel to suspend its offensive into Gaza, which has killed over 32,000 people and put millions on the brink of famine.