The Palestinians are betting that the Security Council resolution will contribute to creating a rift in the American-Israeli (French) relationship.
Ramallah -
From the point of view of the Palestinian leadership and experts, the Security Council’s decision calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, although not binding, is “important” in terms of the possibility of building on it towards a permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, and increasing Israel’s international isolation.
After the United States abstained from voting, the United Nations Security Council adopted - yesterday, Monday - a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
The remaining 14 members of the Council supported the resolution proposed by the 10 elected members of the Council, which also demands the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages and the parties’ commitment to international law towards the detainees.
Wasel Abu Youssef: The United States’ abstention from using the veto came as a result of the enormity of what the occupation is doing (Al Jazeera)
Late but important
Wasel Abu Youssef, a member of the Executive Committee of the Palestine Liberation Organization, believes that the decision is “important,” even if it came late, after about 6 months of annihilation war against the Palestinian people in Gaza.
The Palestinian leader explained in his interview with Al Jazeera Net that the American veto had many times thwarted draft resolutions to stop the war, and yesterday it was passed in light of the United States’ abstention from voting, “and this is a positive change in the American position, even if it is insufficient.”
He continued: "Although the resolution does not oblige the occupation to immediately and permanently stop the war of extermination, it comes in the right direction towards achieving this obligation."
Based on the Israeli reactions, Abu Youssef said that the occupation seeks to continue this aggression, “as it does not abide by any of the resolutions and laws of international legitimacy and the Security Council, as happened previously in the decision of the International Court of Justice, which is the highest judicial court in the world.”
On January 26, the International Court of Justice ordered Israel to take measures to prevent genocide in Gaza and direct incitement to it, and rejected the Israeli request to dismiss the lawsuit brought by South Africa.
Abu Youssef added that the United States’ announcement that the resolution is non-binding “gives more green light to the occupation to continue the aggression and try not to stop the fire.”
However, he says that the decision is important even if it is partial in that it calls for an end to the aggression only during the month of Ramadan.
Dr. Mustafa Barghouti: The Security Council’s decision for an immediate ceasefire is binding and dealt a blow to Netanyahu and his extremist and aggressive government, and sanctions must be imposed on it if it refuses to implement it.
- Mustafa Barghouti @Mustafa_Barghouti (@MustafaBarghou1) March 25, 2024
American abstention
In the opinion of the leader of the PLO, the United States’ abstention from using its veto power has two reasons: the first is the enormity of the occupation’s systematic policy of killing civilians, children, and women, and the massacres and destruction that have been taking place for more than a week in Gaza’s hospitals to create an environment that is repulsive to the Palestinian people, which has prompted The world must hold the occupation responsible for this and demand a ceasefire.
As for the second matter, behind abstention; He added that the occupation government continued to talk about storming the city of Rafah and committing more massacres.
Hence - Abu Youssef adds - “The United States’ position came in line with international positions demanding a ceasefire and the entry of aid, fuel and electricity into Gaza.
He added that we can work from now on to continue the effort at all levels to oblige the occupation to stop the aggression and build a vision related to protecting the Palestinian people, “who are starving and thirsty due to the siege and escalating crimes.”
Ayman Youssef: The Security Council resolution helps America’s friends raise their tone towards Israel (Al Jazeera)
Important aspects
For his part, Dr. Ayman Youssef, professor of political science at the Arab American University, says that the Security Council’s decision, in addition to its non-binding nature, was “vague and general.”
He stated, in an interview with Al Jazeera Net, that the resolution “requested a ceasefire and the release of prisoners and did not specify the parties, as if it equated Israel with Hamas, while Israel is the aggressor and the resolution should have been clearly directed at the occupying state and Israel, because Hamas does not have an army occupying Israel, but rather the opposite.” he is right".
The political science professor believes that this generality is what prompted the United States to abstain from voting and not use the veto.
Youssef wondered who would implement the decision, explaining that dozens of decisions preceded it and were not implemented, and often the will of major powers pushes the decision to be implemented, and “in the event of a war on Gaza, this is not available.”
However, he added that the decision is important in more than one sense: “It constitutes a tool to pressure Israel to interact positively with all the initiatives proposed at this stage regarding the exchange deal. It also indicates shifts in the American position for the first time in 6 months, and this may bring about A defect in the strategic partnership between Israel and the United States of America.”
He pointed out the importance of the decision in raising America's voices toward Israel, "especially in the European Union, Britain, France, Germany, and Japan," explaining that "there are many transformations within the European Union."
He concluded that it is possible to build on the decision “if Israeli arrogance and narcissism continue, by issuing a more binding decision in the future.”
Gandhi Rabie: Countries can take steps to implement the Security Council resolution to impose sanctions on Israel and break the siege of Gaza (Al Jazeera)
Possible actions
In turn, the head of the Law and Law Group for Law and Consultations in Ramallah, Gandhi Rabai, sees the Security Council resolution as “a very important development at the level of the United Nations Foundation and the Security Council.”
Speaking to Al Jazeera Net, he added that the resolution, which received an overwhelming majority, "is in the interest of the development of Palestinian rights with international recognition, as for the first time America did not use its veto power."
In the opinion of the legal expert, the call for a ceasefire does not serve the occupying state, which insists on continuing its occupation and aggression against the Gaza Strip.
He pointed out that the resolution did not condemn the Palestinian resistance, "This is a very important development. It means that there is legitimacy in resisting the occupation, and this is consistent with international conventions."
Rabai said that the resolution spoke about the necessity of releasing detainees and treating them in accordance with international humanitarian law. “This applies to Hamas and the occupying state, and it has an important equality because it means that the occupying state does not deal with Palestinian prisoners in accordance with international law, especially the prisoners who were detained in the Gaza Strip.”
The Al-Aqsa Flood War is a difficult war in which victory will only be achieved by points. Today's #Security_Council resolution is a political and media victory for the resistance and the Palestinian cause, regardless of the practical obstacle to its implementation. It indicates that only the steadfastness of the resistance will guarantee the end of the war in favor of the enemy.. Thank you #Algeria and all the supporters of the resolution pic.twitter.com/scpquSquGH
- Muhammad Al-Mukhtar Al-Shinqiti (@mshinqiti) March 25, 2024
Ground for trial
Rabai says that the decision acquires additional importance as it constitutes a basis for the International Court of Justice and the prosecution of war criminals who commit crimes against humanity and war crimes in the Gaza Strip.
Regarding the possibility of implementing the resolution, Rabai believes that it must be implemented because “it was issued by the highest authority in the United Nations, and the occupying state must declare its commitment to it, as well as the Hamas movement. Failure to comply means continued aggression and violation of the Security Council resolution and thus violation of international law.”
Regarding what individual countries can do to implement the resolution, he mentioned that countries can put pressure on Israel, impose sanctions on it, and break the siege on the Gaza Strip.
However, the legal expert points out that “the decision is not ideal for the benefit of Palestinian rights, because the international community, specifically the United States, does not believe that the rights of the Palestinian people must be protected, while it says that Israel has the right to defend itself.”
Source: Al Jazeera