Text of UN resolution on Gaza crisis

Source: BBC website

The US abstained from the Security Council vote

The UN Security Council has voted for a ceasefire in Gaza. Here are the nine clauses of Resolution 1860:

1. Stresses the urgency of and calls for an immediate, durable and fully respected ceasefire, leading to the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza;

2. Calls for the unimpeded provision and distribution throughout Gaza of humanitarian assistance, including of food, fuel and medical treatment;

3. Welcomes the initiatives aimed at creating and opening humanitarian corridors and other mechanisms for the sustained delivery of humanitarian aid;

4. Calls on Member States to support international efforts to alleviate the humanitarian and economic situation in Gaza, including through urgently needed additional contributions to Unrwa and through the Ad Hoc Liaison Committee;

5. Condemns all violence and hostilities directed against civilians and all acts of terrorism;

6. Calls upon Member States to intensify efforts to provide arrangements and guarantees in Gaza in order to sustain a durable ceasefire and calm, including to prevent illicit trafficking in arms and ammunition and to ensure the sustained re-opening of the crossing points on the basis of the 2005 Agreement on Movement and Access between the Palestinian Authority and Israel; and in this regard, welcomes the Egyptian initiative, and other regional and international efforts that are under way;

7. Encourages tangible steps towards intra-Palestinian reconciliation including in support of mediation efforts of Egypt and the League of Arab States as expressed in the 26 November 2008 resolution, and consistent with Security Council resolution 1850 (2008) and other relevant resolutions;

8. Calls for renewed and urgent efforts by the parties and the international community to achieve a comprehensive peace based on the vision of a region where two democratic States, Israel and Palestine, live side by side in peace with secure and recognised borders, as envisaged in Security Council resolution 1850 (2008), and recalls also the importance of the Arab Peace Initiative;

9. Welcomes the Quartet's consideration, in consultation with the parties, of an international meeting in Moscow in 2009;

Security Council calls for immediate ceasefire in Gaza

2009-01-09 10:34:02  

·Security Council adopted a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. ·The resolution also calls for the unimpeded provision of humanitarian assistance. ·Rice said that despite the abstention, U.S. supports the text of the resolution.

    UNITED NATIONS, Jan. 8 (Xinhua) --

The UN Security Council on Thursday adopted a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza "leading to the full withdrawal of Israeli forces."

    The 15-nation council approved the resolution with 14 voting in favor. The United States abstained.

    The council took the move after Arab and Western foreign ministers agreed on an amended version of a Britain-drafted resolution. It came on the 13th day of Israeli military assaults on Gaza in which more than 700 Palestinians have died.

    French Foreign Minister Bernard Kouchner (who tried to delay the resolution one more day to allow Israeli terrorists to kill more Palestinian civilians), whose country holds the Security Council presidency for January, chaired the open council meeting, at which UN Secretary-General Ban Ki-moon, U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice and British Foreign Secretary David Miliband were present.

    After the vote, Ban said that his trip to the Middle East next week will help to promote the ceasefire.

    In the resolution, the council stressed that "the Gaza Strip constitutes an integral part of the territory occupied in 1967 and will be a part of the Palestine State."

    Kouchner, speaking in his capacity as the French foreign minister, said that the resolution "is the only viable way" to achieve peace in the Middle East.

    Rice, in explaining her vote, said that despite the abstention, the United States supports the text of the resolution.

    The United States is a close ally of Israel, which launched air strikes on Dec. 27, 2008 to retaliate for the firing of rockets into southern Israel by Hamas militants.

    The resolution also "calls for the unimpeded provision and distribution throughout Gaza of humanitarian assistance, including food, fuel and medicines."

    The Security Council "welcomes the initiative aimed at creating and opening humanitarian corridors and other mechanisms for the sustained delivery of humanitarian aid," the resolution said.

    The Security Council "condemns all violence and hostilities directed against civilians and all acts of terrorism."

    The Security Council "calls upon member states to intensify efforts to provide arrangements and guarantees in Gaza in order to sustain a durable ceasefire and calm, including to prevent illicit trafficking in arms and ammunition and to ensure the sustained reopening of the crossing points on the basis of the 2005 Agreement on Movement and Access between the Palestinian Authority and Israel," the resolution said.

    Meanwhile, the Security Council also "welcomes the Egyptian initiative, and other regional and international efforts that are under way," the resolution said, referring to a peace initiative announced by Egyptian President Hosni Mubarak in Cairo.

    The Security Council "welcomes the Quartet's consideration, in consultation with other parties, of an international meeting in Moscow in 2009," the resolution said.

    The Quartet groups the United Nations, the European Union, Russia and the United States in search of peace in the Middle East.

Olmert: Israeli to continue operating despite UN ceasefire resolution

2009-01-09 19:42:35  

    JERUSALEM, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) --

The Israeli occupation government prime minister (and war criminal), Ehud Olmert, said on Friday that Israeli terrorist army will continue acting to defend the citizens of Israel and carry out the missions laid before it in the ongoing Gaza operation, local news service Ynet reported.

    Olmert made the remarks in a statement issued by the Prime Minister's Office following the Israeli Security Cabinet discussion, in response to the UN Security Council's Thursday resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

    The prime minister said that the Israeli terrorist government has never allowed an outside source to determine its right to defend the security of its citizens. The Israeli occupation terrorist forces (dubbed as IDF) will continue acting to defend the citizens of Israel and carry out the missions laid before it in the operation.

    UN Security Council resolution was "impracticable," said Olmert, noting that Palestinian militants in Gaza continued to fire rockets at southern Israel on Friday.

    "The rocket attacks this morning against residents of the south only prove that the UN resolution is not practical and will not be upheld by the Palestinian murder organizations," Olmert added.

    Earlier Friday, hours after the UN Security Council passed the resolution; the Israeli occupation terrorist government foreign minister, Tzipi Livni, said that Israel will continue to act only in its own interest.

    "Israel has acted, is acting, and will continue to act only according to its calculations, in the interest of the security of its citizens and its right to self defense," said the foreign minister.

    Israeli terrorist government  vice premier minister, Eli Yishai, was quoted by Ynet as saying that “The world has turned into Hamas' lobbyist.” It's no matter for concern if this resolution stays on paper, our interest is all that matters."

    The UN Security Council Thursday adopted Resolution 1860 calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza "leading to the full withdrawal of Israeli forces."

    The 15-nation council approved the resolution with 14 voting in favor. The United States abstained.

    The council took the move after Arab and Western foreign ministers agreed on an amended version of a Britain-drafted resolution. It came on the 14th day of IDF Cast Lead Operation in Gaza in which about 780 Palestinians have died.

Editor: Xiong

Hamas: UNSC resolution neglects its demands

2009-01-09 18:10:09  

    GAZA, Jan. 9 (Xinhua) --

The Islamic Resistance Movement (Hamas) said on Friday that the fresh resolution of the UN Security Council, which called for immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, is not interesting "because it neglected the movement's demands."

    After days of diplomatic wrestling, the UN Security Council on Thursday adopted resolution 1860 calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza "leading to the full withdrawal of Israeli forces."

    The 15-nation council approved the resolution with 14 voting in favor. The United States abstained.

    Osma Hamdan, Hamas representative in Lebanon, said in a written statement sent to reporters that the UN Security Council doesn't fulfill the movement's demands and "the movement, which is a major part in the conflict wasn't consulted."

    Hamdan stressed what he called "the major three conditions of the movement, which are unconditioned ceasefire, full withdrawal, lifting the blockade and reopening all Gaza Strip border crossings, Including Rafah."

    Arab and Western diplomats seemed unconvinced that their handiwork would silence Israeli guns or stop the militant group Hamas from firing rockets into Israel.

    However, the Arabs, the Palestinian National Authority, and their foreign allies expressed hope that the resolution might nudge the warring parties onto a new course to halt the bloodshed in the Gaza Strip.

    Meanwhile, Sami Abu Zuhri, Hamas movement's spokesman said in a statement that his movement rejects the UN resolution, adding that" it serves the Israeli interests through an endless political process."

Editor: Xiong