Sayyid Badr bin Hamad al Busaidy, Foreign Minister, and Ahmed Attaf, Minister of Foreign Affairs and National Communities Abroad of People’s Democratic Republic of Algeria, expressed their solidarity with the Palestinian people in their historic steadfastness and their humanitarian suffering in the Gaza Strip and the rest of the occupied territories in the face of the Israeli occupying forces, over phone on Wednesday.
The two ministers stressed the importance of ratcheting up political pressure from the Arab and Islamic world and the whole world to end the war and aggression on the defenceless civilians and children and to allow the delivery of humanitarian needs such as food, water, fuel and medicines. They stressed the importance of political action for the Palestinian cause and the option of a just and comprehensive peace in accordance with the international legitimacy resolutions based on international law in order for the region and its peoples to enjoy security and stability.
Meanwhile, a divided UN Security Council will vote on competing draft resolutions on the war that were drawn up by Russia and the United States, diplomats said. The council’s schedule said the meeting was due to begin at 3:00 pm (19:00 GMT).
After the defeat last week of two draft resolutions presented by Russia and Brazil, two new drafts will be voted on, diplomats said.
The Russian document calls for “an immediate, durable and fully respected humanitarian ceasefire” and “condemns all violence and hostilities against civilians.”
To be adopted a draft needs the support of at least nine of the council’s 15 members, with none of the five permanent members — the United States, Britain, France, Russia and China — exercising their right to veto it.
Last week the United States vetoed a Brazilian draft resolution which garnered 12 votes in favour. Washington said it rejected the text because it did not state that Israel has the right to defend itself.
The new American draft calls for “humanitarian pauses” to let desperately needed aid into the sealed off Gaza Strip.
But Russia’s UN ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia, said on Tuesday he could not endorse the US resolution because it does not feature a call for a ceasefire.
One diplomatic source said that if both the Russian and US draft resolutions are voted down the 10 non-permanent members of the council could present their own draft.
The broader UN General Assembly is scheduled to debate the war on Thursday and Friday.
Resolutions from this body representing all UN members, with no one holding veto power, are non-binding. Still, Arab countries are working on a resolution that could be voted on this week, diplomats said.
Oman Daily Observer
