New York, 22 March 2024 (dpa/MIA) - After months of wrangling, the UN Security Council on Friday is set to vote on a resolution calling for an immediate and sustained ceasefire in the Gaza war, according to diplomats.

Consultation on the draft resolution submitted by the US was scheduled for Friday at 9 am (1300 GMT).

If the resolution is approved, it would be the first time since the start of the Israeli military operation against the Palestinian Islamist organization Hamas at the beginning of October that the most powerful UN body speaks out in favour of a sustained ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

Since the outbreak of the conflict on October 7, Washington, Israel's closest ally, had opposed the word "ceasefire" and vetoed three corresponding resolutions in the Security Council, the most powerful UN body.

However, in view of the rising number of civilian casualties and the threat of famine in the Gaza Strip, the US is now stepping up the pressure on Israel.

According to diplomats in New York, it was unclear whether the resolution would be adopted.

Russia, who has veto power, had recently criticized the text partly because, according to Moscow, it does not call for a ceasefire clearly enough.

The draft resolution emphasizes the need for "an immediate and sustained ceasefire" to protect the civilian population and to enable the provision of critical humanitarian assistance and alleviate human suffering.

The Security Council fully supports the ongoing international efforts "to secure such a ceasefire in connection with the release of all remaining hostages," the text continues.

To pass, a resolution in the UN Security Council requires at least nine of the 15 votes, and there can be no veto from one of the permanent five powers.

Security Council resolutions are binding under international law. If an affected state ignores them, the body can impose sanctions.

In view of Israel's planned offensive in the city of Rafah in the south of the Gaza Strip, the text of the resolution expressed concern for the civilian population there. Some 1.5 million Palestinians have sought refuge in the city bordering Egypt.

The document also states that the vision of a two-state solution in the Middle East must be upheld.

A two-state solution foresees the peaceful co-existence of Israel and a Palestinian state, based on the borders of the Palestinian Territories occupied by Israel since 1967 - the West Bank, East Jerusalem and the Gaza Strip.

MIA file photo