Breaking: UN Approves Gaza Cease-fire

The United Nations Security Council voted 14-0 to pass a resolution urging a cease-fire in Gaza for the remainder of Ramadan.

The United States abstained from voting, enabling the resolution's passage. The resolution demands the immediate, unconditional release of all hostages held by Hamas since the October 7th attack on Israel.

With Ramadan ending on April 9th, any cease-fire resulting from the vote may be brief. Previous attempts by the Security Council to broker a cease-fire had failed, including one just three days earlier. The U.S. had supported a cease-fire linked to the release of hostages as part of negotiations led by Egypt and Qatar. It urged the Security Council to pressure Hamas to accept the proposed deal.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reportedly threatened to cancel an Israeli delegation's trip to Washington, D.C., if the U.S. did not veto the resolution outright. The delegation was to discuss a planned Israeli military operation in Rafah, Gaza's southern region, where over a million Palestinians have sought refuge from the conflict.