Jenna Lawrence | Opinion Editor
On Monday, March 25th, the U.N. Security Council passed a resolution that called for a cease-fire in Gaza. After multiple failed attempts to call for a cease-fire due to the US vetoing, one was finally passed as the US abstained. The other fourteen countries, including China, Russia, France, and the UK, all voted in favor of the cease-fire, meaning the United States was the only country to abstain.
Even though the US did not vote in favor of the cease-fire, their abstention is a shift in stance toward Israel, as it shows they are losing patience with them. Israel noticed this shift as well, as they canceled a planned visit to Washington in which they were supposed to discuss plans intended to avoid civilian casualties in Gaza. However, the White House National Security Council spokesman John Kirby stated that their vote/abstention does not reflect any change in their stance or policy.
Although the UN’s resolution calls for an immediate cease-fire they hope will become a lasting sustainable one, these hopes are weakened since the cease-fire is limited to the remainder of Ramadan, which is two weeks maximum. Hamas accepted this resolution but Israel has rejected it. The resolution for a cease-fire should not be as open-ended as it is. It should be regarded as a permanent cease-fire, to completely end the violence and genocide occurring in Gaza. Regardless, the passing of this resolution is groundbreaking and we can only hope it results in a permanent cease-fire with real consequences if Israel does not honor the cease-fire.