UN Security Council calls for urgent humanitarian pauses in Gaza fighting

• Previous resolutions had been vetoed by different permanent members, including the U.S., or did not garner enough votes to pass.

Driving the news: Twelve member states voted in favor of the resolution, which was tabled by Malta. Three countries — the U.S., the U.K. and Russia —abstained.

• The resolution calls for "urgent and extended humanitarian pauses and corridors throughout the Gaza Strip for a sufficient number of days to enable…full, rapid, safe, and unhindered humanitarian access" for the UN and other humanitarian organizations.
• It also calls for facilitating "continuous, sufficient and unhindered provision of essential goods and services important to the well-being of civilians throughout the Gaza Strip as well as emergency repairs to essential infrastructure, and medical evacuation of sick or injured children and their caregivers."

It does not include a clause condemning Hamas for the Oct. 7 attack the resolution, but it does call for "the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages held by Hamas and other groups, especially children."

• It also calls for all parties "to refrain from depriving the civilian population in the Gaza Strip of basic services and humanitarian assistance indispensable to their survival."

• A Russia-proposed amendment, which included a call for a ceasefire, didn't get the nine votes needed to be adopted.

Between the lines: While the resolution focused on the humanitarian situation in Gaza and didn't call for a ceasefire, Israeli officials say they view it as a signal from the Biden administration to Israel about its concerns regarding the number of Palestinian civilians who have been killed in the Israeli operation.

Go deeper: UN calls for immediate "durable and sustained humanitarian truce" in Israel-Hamas war