The UN Security Council will vote Monday on a new draft resolution calling for an "immediate" ceasefire in Gaza, after Russia and China vetoed an earlier text proposed by the United States.

The new text "demands an immediate ceasefire" for the ongoing Muslim holy month of Ramadan, "leading to a permanent sustainable ceasefire."

It also "demands the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages as well as the "lifting of all barriers to the provision of humanitarian assistance at scale."

The text is being put forward by the non-permanent members of the Security Council, who worked with the United States over the weekend to avoid a veto.

Malta was among them and played an important role in bringing the new text forward.

“We built on the unity achieved with our resolution in November to keep the elected members working together to present the first joint motion on a geographic situation in the council’s history,” Malta’s permanent ambassador to the United Nations, Vanessa Frazier, told Times of Malta.  

Frazier said the resolution sent a strong message to world leaders. 

“Because the elected (non-permanent) members are jointly presenting this, it will be very difficult for permanent members to veto it,” she said.

Some of the language used in the resolution was taken from the Malta-led motion four months ago. 

Frazier said the United States had attempted to replace the words “immediate ceasefire” with “humanitarian pauses”, a request resisted by Malta and the rest of the elected members. But Frazier added she was “grateful” for the willingness shown by Israel’s closest ally to engage with the elected members during negotiations.

The Permanent Representative of Malta to the United Nations, Ambassador Vanessa Frazier, speaks during a UN Security Council meeting. AFP.

The Security Council has been divided over the Israel-Hamas war since the October 7 attacks, approving only two of eight resolutions, with both dealing mainly with humanitarian aid to the devastated Gaza Strip. One of those resolutions was the one moved by Malta in November. 

Permanent Council member and key Israel backer the United States has unequivocally supported Israel's right to defend itself following Hamas's unprecedented attacks.

But with the humanitarian crisis in Gaza deepening, the United States has tempered its support for Israel over its conduct of the war against the Palestinian militant group.

Resolution expected to be approved

"We expect, barring a last-minute twist, that the resolution will be adopted and that the United States will not vote against it," one diplomat told AFP.

The Gaza war began with an unprecedented Hamas attack on October 7 that resulted in about 1,160 deaths in Israel, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.

Israel has vowed to destroy the militants, who also seized about 250 hostages, of whom Israel believes around 130 remain in Gaza, including 33 presumed dead.

The health ministry in the Hamas-run Gaza Strip on Sunday put the total death toll in the territory at 32,226, most of them women and children.

The ministry said 72 people had been killed in early hours of Sunday, including at least 26 killed in air strikes on five homes in the southern city of Rafah. 

Show of strength by council's non-permanent members

This is the second show of strength from the elected Security Council members in less than a month. A few weeks ago, Frazier delivered a joint statement on behalf of the group underlining the importance of international law in response to the United States vetoing an Algerian resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire.

But despite the international pressure, what assurances does the world have the Israel will listen? 

“It’s true Israel has a history of not implementing UN resolutions, but now with international pressure building — including from the US — if they continue to violate international law it will weaken their case in the ICJ,” she said. 

Israel is currently facing accusations at the International Court of Justice (ICJ) of having illegally occupied Palestine less than three months after being hauled in front of the same court to answer allegations of genocide. 

However, Frazier said she and the other elected members were not deterred by Israel’s seeming unwillingness to comply with Security Council resolutions. 

“We have to have a ceasefire resolution — it is our duty and responsibility given to us by the charter; to call for a ceasefire in the event of any conflict. This is no different,” she said.