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Resolution 2712 (2023) on Gaza (15 November 2023)

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aliasesResolution 2712, Resolution 2712 (2023), S/RES/2712

5 min read

Summary

The Security Council’s resolution adopted at its 9479th meeting on 15 November 2023, centred on children in the Gaza Strip, which demands that all parties comply with international law, including international humanitarian law, notably on the protection of civilians, especially children, calls for urgent and extended humanitarian pauses and corridors throughout the Gaza Strip for a sufficient number of days to enable full, rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian access and urgent rescue and recovery efforts, calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages held by Hamas and other groups, especially children, calls on parties to refrain from depriving Gaza’s civilian population of basic services and assistance indispensable to survival, and requests the Secretary-General to report orally and to identify options to monitor implementation (Resolution 2712 (2023) on Gaza (15 November 2023), PDF p.1-2). The resolution does not call for a ceasefire.

What the file is

United Nations document S/RES/2712 (2023), Distr.: General, 15 November 2023, 2 PDF pages, about 682 words in the text copy. The text copy is clean and matches the original. No vote count is given in the file.

Section by section

  • Preamble, law and children (PDF p.1). Reaffirms the Charter and that all parties must adhere to international law, including humanitarian and human rights law; stresses humanitarian law’s general protection for children as persons taking no part in hostilities and special protection as particularly vulnerable, and recalls that the taking of hostages is prohibited under international law; recalls the protection obligations in the Geneva Conventions of 12th August 1949 and the Additional Protocols of 1977.
  • Preamble, Gaza (PDF p.1). Deep concern at the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and its grave impact on civilians, especially the disproportionate effect on children; urgent need for full, rapid, safe and unhindered access; humanitarian principles of humanity, impartiality, neutrality and independence; rejection of forced displacement of the civilian population, including children, in violation of international law; deep concern at disrupted access to education and conflict’s lifelong effects on children’s physical and mental health; commendation of regional and international actors and the Secretary-General for efforts on the hostage and humanitarian crises.
  • Paragraph 1 (PDF p.2). Demands all parties comply with their obligations under international law, including humanitarian law, notably on protection of civilians, especially children.
  • Paragraph 2 (PDF p.2). Calls for urgent and extended humanitarian pauses and corridors throughout the Gaza Strip for a sufficient number of days to enable full, rapid, safe and unhindered access for UN humanitarian agencies and their implementing partners, the International Committee of the Red Cross and other impartial humanitarian organizations, continuous provision of water, electricity, fuel, food and medical supplies, emergency repairs to essential infrastructure, rescue and recovery including for missing children in damaged and destroyed buildings, and medical evacuation of sick or injured children and their care givers.
  • Paragraph 3 (PDF p.2). Calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages held by Hamas and other groups, especially children, as well as ensuring immediate humanitarian access.
  • Paragraph 4 (PDF p.2). Calls on parties to refrain from depriving Gaza’s civilian population of basic services and humanitarian assistance indispensable to survival, consistent with humanitarian law; welcomes the initial, although limited, provision of humanitarian supplies and calls for scaling up.
  • Paragraph 5 (PDF p.2). Underscores coordination, humanitarian notification and deconfliction mechanisms to protect medical and humanitarian staff, vehicles including ambulances, humanitarian sites and critical infrastructure including UN facilities, and to facilitate aid convoys and patients, in particular sick and injured children and care givers.
  • Paragraph 6 (PDF p.2). Requests the Secretary-General to report orally at the next mandated Middle East meeting and to identify options to effectively monitor implementation as a matter of prime concern.
  • Paragraph 7 (PDF p.2). Decides to remain seized of the matter.

Key passages

  • “Calls for urgent and extended humanitarian pauses and corridors throughout the Gaza Strip for a sufficient number of days” (PDF p.2)
  • “Calls for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages held by Hamas and other groups, especially children, as well as ensuring immediate humanitarian access” (PDF p.2)

Evidence the work relies on

  • The resolution cites the Charter of the United Nations, international humanitarian law and international human rights law, and the Geneva Conventions of 12 August 1949 and the Additional Protocols of 1977. It gives no figures.

Analysis

The Council’s first Gaza resolution in this sequence is framed around children and humanitarian access. Its strongest demand is compliance with international law; on the fighting itself it calls only for pauses and corridors, not a ceasefire, and on hostages it calls for release without setting conditions or a mechanism beyond a Secretary-General report and monitoring options.

People, organizations, places and events

UN Security Council, UN Security Council Resolution 2712, Hamas, International Committee of the Red Cross, Gaza

Concepts

none

How it relates to other sources

Open questions

  • No vote count is given in the file.
  • The resolution gives no casualty or aid figures, and names no party other than Hamas and other groups in the hostage paragraph.

Coverage

PDF p.1-2 of 2, read in full

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