UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) - The United Nations Security Council is set to hold a delayed vote on Friday, regarding a demand for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict. However, the United States, a veto power, expressed its opposition to such a move, stating that it would only pave the way for future wars. The Security Council meeting was convened to receive a briefing from UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.

The vote on the resolution, which was drafted by the United Arab Emirates, was postponed until 3 p.m. (2000 GMT). This decision came shortly before U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken's scheduled meeting in Washington with ministers from Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the Palestinian Authority, and Turkey.

"We have an opportunity to respond to the overwhelming global calls to end this violence," said Deputy UAE Ambassador to the UN, Mohamed Abushahab, urging the council to vote in favor of the ceasefire.

Failure to adopt the resolution would be seen as granting Israel "a license to continue with its massacre of Palestinians in Gaza," warned Jordan's Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi in a press conference held in Washington.

The draft resolution not only calls for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire but also emphasizes the protection of civilian populations in both Palestine and Israel. Additionally, it demands the unconditional release of all hostages.

The United States has consistently urged the Security Council to condemn a Hamas attack on October 7, which resulted in the death of 1,200 people and the taking of 240 hostages by Israel. Deputy U.S. Ambassador to the UN, Robert Wood, called the council's inaction a "serious moral failure."

Israel has been targeting Hamas in Gaza through aerial bombardment, imposing a siege, and launching a ground offensive. According to Gaza's Health Ministry, over 17,480 people have been killed thus far, and the majority of Gaza's 2.3 million inhabitants have been displaced from their homes.

For the resolution to pass, it requires at least nine votes in favor, without any veto from the council's permanent members - the United States, Russia, China, France, or Britain. Previous attempts to take action have failed, but the council did issue calls to halt the fighting temporarily to facilitate aid access to Gaza.

UN Secretary-General Guterres, who has long advocated for a humanitarian ceasefire, made a rare formal warning on Wednesday about the global threat posed by the ongoing conflict.

Israel's UN Ambassador, Gilad Erdan, claimed that Hamas had broken a previously agreed ceasefire on October 7. He argued that regional stability and the security of Israelis and Gazans could only be achieved once Hamas is eliminated, emphasizing support for Israel's mission rather than calling for a ceasefire.