UNITED NATIONS, November 16. /TASS/. The UN Security Council on Wednesday adopted a resolution on the Middle East, authored by Malta and aimed at helping children in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict zone, a TASS correspondent reported.

A total of 12 countries in the 15-member council voted in favor of the document. The United States, the United Kingdom and Russia abstained.

The document, obtained by TASS, has seven provisions. It contains a call for establishing extended humanitarian pauses and corridors in the Gaza Strip "for a sufficient number of days to enable, consistent with international humanitarian law, the full, rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian access" for United Nations, the International Committee of the Red Cross and other impartial humanitarian organizations enabling them to deliver humanitarian aid, repair essential infrastructure and organize "urgent rescue and recovery efforts, including for missing children in damaged and destroyed buildings." The humanitarian pause should be long enough to conduct "evacuation of sick or injured children and their care givers."

It also contains a call for immediate release of all hostages, particularly children. The resolution calls upon all parties to the conflict to refrain from depriving the civilian population of basic services and humanitarian aid.

It underscores the importance of "coordination, humanitarian notification and deconfliction mechanisms."

Tensions flared up in the Middle East after Hamas militants from the Gaza Strip attacked Israeli territory on October 7, when many Israelis living in the settlements near the border were killed and more than 200 people, including children, women and the elderly, were taken hostage. Hamas views its attack as a response to Israeli authorities’ steps against the Al-Aqsa Mosque in Jerusalem. Israel declared a total blockade of the Gaza Strip and launched bombardments of the enclave and some areas in Lebanon and Syria. Clashes are also reported in the West Bank.