The UN Security Council meets at the UN headquarters in New York, on Dec 9, 2022. (MANUEL ELIAS/UN PHOTO/HANDOUT VIA XINHUA)

UNITED NATIONS - The UN Security Council on Wednesday postponed, for the third time in a week, the voting of a draft resolution calling for a suspension in fighting and boosting aid to the Gaza Strip.

Diplomatic sources have indicated that the postponement is linked to "eleventh-hour negotiations" between the United States and Egypt regarding a UN aid monitoring proposal, as the US endeavors to "circumvent" the use of its veto power.

Following over a week of negotiations and multiple delays in voting, diplomats have revealed that the United States is dissatisfied with the draft resolution, primarily due to its request for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to create a UN mechanism in Gaza

Egypt, though not a council member, shares a border with Gaza and has served as the primary entry point for aid to the 2.3 million people living in Gaza throughout the two-month-long conflict between Israel and Hamas until recent developments changed the situation.

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Following over a week of negotiations and multiple delays in voting, diplomats have revealed that the United States is dissatisfied with the draft resolution, primarily due to its request for UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to create a UN mechanism in Gaza. This mechanism would have the exclusive role of "monitoring all humanitarian aid deliveries to Gaza via land, sea, and air routes," which come from states not directly involved in the conflict.

According to the draft resolution tabled by the United Arab Emirates seen by Xinhua, as part of the monitoring mechanism, the UN will notify both the Palestinian Authority and Israel to confirm the humanitarian nature of the consignments.

After several days of intense negotiations, the United States expressed reluctance to endorse a resolution advocating a "cessation of hostilities" in Gaza, hence a postponement of the decision on Wednesday, sources said.

The draft text says that it demands that the parties related 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." In connection with this, the draft calls for the "urgent suspension of hostilities," and for "urgent steps towards a sustainable cessation of hostilities."

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The draft text further rejects the "forced displacement of the civilian population, including children" and reiterates the council's "unwavering commitment" to the two-state solution.

The council had initially been due to vote on Monday, Tuesday and then Wednesday.

Earlier this month, the UN General Assembly, consisting of 193 member states, called for a humanitarian ceasefire, receiving overwhelming support with 153 states voting in favor of the motion. This action came shortly after the United States had vetoed a similar proposal in the Security Council.