MUSCAT: The Sultanate of Oman has welcomed the UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in the Palestinian territories, and the need for the Gaza Strip to obtain all its needs of humanitarian materials and aid without obstacles.
The Foreign Ministry issued a statement on Monday reiterating its firm and supportive position for all UN resolutions aimed at establishing peace in the region.
The statement stressed the responsibility of the Security Council towards implementing its resolutions, protecting civilians in the occupied Palestinian territories, and recognising the Palestinian state in accordance with international law.
After more than five months of war, the UN Security Council for the first time on Monday demanded an immediate ceasefire in Gaza after the United States, which vetoed previous drafts, abstained.
Drawing unusual applause in the normally staid Security Council, all 14 other members voted in favour of the resolution which "demands an immediate ceasefire" for the ongoing holy month of Ramadhan.
The resolution calls for the truce to lead to a "lasting, sustainable ceasefire" and demands that all the captives seized on October 7 be released.
"The bloodbath has continued for far too long," said Amar Bendjama, the representative of Algeria, the Arab bloc's current member of the Security Council and a sponsor of the resolution alongside a diverse group that included Slovenia, Switzerland, Japan and South Korea.
"Finally, the Security Council is shouldering its responsibility," he said.
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres demanded that the resolution be implemented. "Failure would be unforgivable," Guterres wrote on X.
Palestinian envoy Riyad Mansour fought back tears as he said that the resolution should be a "turning point" in ending the war. "Apologies to those who the world has failed, to those that could have been saved but were not," he said.
The United States had repeatedly blocked Security Council resolutions that put pressure on Israel but has increasingly shown frustration with its ally as the United Nations warns of impending famine in Gaza.
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