Jakarta. Indonesia welcomes the recently passed UN Security Council resolution that demands a ceasefire in Gaza for the remainder of Ramadan, while calling for its swift implementation.

The UN Security Council on Monday approved the resolution, by a vote of 14 members in favor and one abstention from the US. The resolution also calls for the immediate release of hostages, and for ensuring humanitarian access to the Palestinian enclave.

This marks the first Gaza ceasefire resolution that the UN Security Council finally passed after four failed attempts. The world immediately reacted to the long-awaited resolution, including Indonesia, which has been vocal about its support for Palestine.

“Indonesia welcomes the adoption of the UN Security Council Resolution 2728 [2024] demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. Indonesia calls for immediate implementation of this legally binding resolution by all parties,” the Foreign Affairs Ministry posted on the social media platform X on Tuesday.

“This is the time to ensure delivery of humanitarian assistance at the scale required and protect civilians in Gaza,” the ministry said.

Earlier resolutions on Gaza have seen the permanent members -- mainly the US -- exercising their veto power. But most recently, China and Russia vetoed a US-led draft on a Gaza ceasefire.

Ramadan is expected to last until April 9, meaning that the Monday resolution will only last for about two weeks. 

In a statement on Washington’s abstention, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken admitted his country did not agree with all the provisions of the text. However, the US found the adjustments made over recent days were consistent with its stance that “any ceasefire text must be paired with text on the release of the hostages”.

“Because the final text does not have key language we view as essential, notably a condemnation of Hamas, we could not support it. This failure to condemn Hamas is particularly difficult to understand coming days after the world once again witnessed the horrific acts terrorist groups commit,” Blinken said.