srael’s bombardment of Gaza shows no sign of stopping, despite a UN resolution calling for a ceasefire. Sources inside Hamas said the group would reject the ceasefire, as it was not in the best interests of Palestinians. And Israeli warplanes continued to attack targets across Gaza, while senior Israeli cabinet members met to discuss their next move. Foreign Minister Tzipi Livni said Israel would act only in accordance with its own considerations."
U.N. Security Council passes Gaza cease-fire resolution
LA RESOLUTION A ETE ADOPTEE
Despite US abstention, security council urges "immediate ceasefire" in Gaza.
"The United Nations Security Council in New York has unanimously passed a resolution calling for an "immediate, durable and fully respected ceasefire" in Gaza...
The French delegation had asked for another 24 hours to work out the draft resolution, drawing a furious response from the Saudi delegation, who said that they would not wait any longer as civilians were dying by the minute.
An agreement was finally reached after Arab foreign ministers made some amendments to the draft sponsored by the US, UK and France, allowing them to get on board with the draft and drop their bid to support another draft resolution sponsored by Libya.
Libya, currently the only Arab nation serving as a non-permanent member of the security council, had been urging council members to back its own version of a resolution, although the US had blocked an earlier Libyan draft that Washington and its allies saw as being anti-Israeli..." Aljazeera
"Fourteen of the council's 15 members voted in favor of the resolution, with U.S. Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice abstaining from the vote on behalf of the United States." - CNN
"UNITED NATIONS, Jan 8 (Reuters) - The U.N. Security Council will vote on Thursday on a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza that Arab diplomats hope will put an end to Israel's 13-day offensive against the Palestinian enclave.
"We have an agreed text," Saudi Arabia's Foreign Minister Saud Al-Faisal told reporters. "We are going to vote on it tonight on the Security Council. This is ... a historic event."
The resolution to be voted on "stresses the urgency of and calls for an immediate, durable and fully respected ceasefire, leading to the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza," according to a text obtained by Reuters.
Diplomats from all 15 council member states were discussing the draft behind closed doors ahead of the vote, which British Foreign Secretary David Miliband said he hoped would "send a very strong signal about the determination of the whole international community" to help the people Gaza and Israel.
The vote will end nearly a week of closed-door bickering over what -- if any -- text should be adopted by the council.
Arab countries, many facing strong anti-Israeli sentiment at home, had insisted the Security Council must issue a binding resolution that would force Israel to end its military campaign in the Gaza Strip immediately.
The United States, like Israel, was initially against the council passing any kind of statement or resolution on the conflict...."Source
