The UN Security Council is set to vote on a resolution demanding a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza during the month of Ramadan, but the United States warned the measure could hurt negotiations to halt Israeli-Hamas hostilities, The Associated Press reported on Saturday.
The resolution, put forward by the 10 elected council members, is backed by Russia and China, who on Friday vetoed a US-sponsored resolution that supported "an immediate and sustained ceasefire" in Gaza.
The 22-nation Arab Group at the UN issued a statement appealing to all 15 council members "to act with unity and urgency" and vote for the resolution "to halt the bloodshed, preserve human lives and avert further human suffering and destruction."
The Security Council is expected to vote on the resolution on Monday morning. The vote was initially scheduled for Saturday but was delayed.
The US last month vetoed a draft resolution, put forward by Algeria, demanding an immediate humanitarian ceasefire.
In mid-December, the Security Council approved a resolution calling for a temporary truce in Gaza to allow increased aid into the Strip and the immediate release of hostages who were kidnapped during Hamas' October 7 in southern Israel.
Earlier that month, the Security Council attempted a vote on a resolution calling for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza, but the US vetoed the proposal.
In mid-October, a Russian-drafted UN Security Council resolution, that would have called for a humanitarian ceasefire in the war in Gaza, failed to pass after it did not achieve the minimum nine votes needed in the 15-member body.
The text was controversial because, while it referred to Israel and the Palestinian Arabs, it did not directly name Hamas, whose terrorists murdered at least 1,200 people in Israel on October 7.
In late October, Russia and China vetoed a US-drafted UN Security Council resolution on the war between Israel and Hamas.