Today's Edition
ABU DHABI (ALETIHAD)
The UAE welcomed the adoption of the UN Security Council Resolution 2728, demanding an immediate ceasefire for the month of Ramadan, immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, and ensuring humanitarian access to address the needs of civilians on the ground.
The Security Council adopted the resolution on Monday, with 14 countries voting in favour, and the US abstaining.
The UAE said that the resolution is "desperately needed", calling on the international community to ensure its success, as "it will save innocent lives".
"We strongly welcome today's adoption of UN Security Council resolution 2728 on Gaza demanding an immediate ceasefire for the month of Ramadan. It is desperately needed," the UAE wrote in a statement posted on the official UAE Mission to the UN account on X, urging all parties to "fully implement the resolution".
We strongly welcome today’s adoption of UN Security Council resolution 2728 on Gaza demanding an immediate ceasefire for the month of Ramadan.
— UAE Mission to the UN (@UAEMissionToUN) March 25, 2024
It is desperately needed.
The parties must adhere to and fully implement this resolution, and the international community must ensure… pic.twitter.com/mcmjAm6UKg
"The UAE will continue to advocate for a permanent end to the war and a viable two-state solution," the statement added. Besides calling for a ceasefire, the resolution also emphasised the "urgent need to expand the flow of humanitarian assistance and to reinforce the protection of civilians in the entire Gaza Strip".
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MoFA) conveyed its aspiration that the resolution will lead towards ending the crisis and preventing further suffering for the brotherly Palestinian people, and will facilitate the immediate, safe, sustainable, and unhindered delivery of relief and humanitarian aid, particularly to the most vulnerable, as well as the release of all hostages.
The international community welcomed the adoption of the resolution, urging the parties to comply and focus on its implementation. Endorsing the resolution, Egypt in a statement confirmed the continuation of its efforts to stop the war and end the crisis. It further demanded the immediate implementation of the ceasefire, adding that the resolution "represents an important and necessary first step to stop the bloodshed".
The Security Council just approved a long-awaited resolution on Gaza, demanding an immediate ceasefire, and the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.
— António Guterres (@antonioguterres) March 25, 2024
This resolution must be implemented. Failure would be unforgivable.
The UN chief Antonio Guterres said in a post on X that failure to implement it "would be unforgivable", writing in a separate post that "a lasting end to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict can only come through a two-state solution". Hussein al-Sheikh, Minister for Civilian Affairs of the Palestinian Authority, lauded the success of the resolution in a post on his official X account.
"We welcome the UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. We call for a permanent cessation to this criminal war and Israel's immediate withdrawal from the Gaza Strip," he wrote. Top EU officials joined the celebration, with the European Commission President, Ursula von der Leyen calling it "vital for the protection of all civilians" in a post on X.
Roberta Metsola, the European Parliament President, welcomed the resolution as a "significant step forward" and "the only way to peace", adding that it follows the Parliament's January resolution.
