UAE welcomes UN resolution establishing new aid mechanism for Gaza

Abu Dhabi: The UAE has welcomed the adoption of UNSC Resolution 2720, which requests that the Secretary-General appoint a Senior Coordinator for aid deliveries in Gaza and establish a new UN aid mechanism.

“Today’s resolution is an important step on the long road ahead. It will enable lifesaving humanitarian assistance to get into Gaza, at scale, and reach those in need,” the UAE Mission to the UN tweeted.

The UN Security Council on Friday passed a key resolution, emphasising the immediate acceleration of aid deliveries to the distressed civilians in Gaza, but without the original call for an "urgent suspension of hostilities" between Israel and Hamas.

Resolution 2720 demands parties to the conflict "allow, facilitate and enable the immediate, safe and unhindered delivery of humanitarian assistance at scale directly to the Palestinian civilian population throughout the Gaza Strip, and in this regard calls for urgent steps to immediately allow safe, unhindered, and expanded humanitarian access and to create the conditions for a sustainable cessation of hostilities."

It requests the secretary-general to "appoint a senior humanitarian and reconstruction coordinator" with responsibility for facilitating, coordinating, monitoring, and verifying in Gaza, as appropriate, the humanitarian nature of all humanitarian relief consignments provided to Gaza through states which are not parties to the conflict.

The text also demands the "immediate and unconditional release of all hostages," as well as ensuring humanitarian access to address the medical needs of all hostages, noting that the provision of fuel to Gaza should meet requisite humanitarian needs.