After more than five months of relentless Israeli war on Gaza, the UN Security Council for the first time Monday demanded an immediate ceasefire after the United States, Israel's ally which vetoed previous drafts, abstained.
Drawing unusual applause in the often staid Security Council, all 14 other members voted in favour of the resolution which "demands an immediate ceasefire" for the ongoing Islamic holy month of Ramadan.
The resolution calls for the truce to lead to a "lasting, sustainable ceasefire" and demands that Hamas and other militants free hostages seized on October 7.
The vote came as Israeli airstrikes on Rafah and other parts of the Gaza Strip killed dozens of people on Monday.
Permanent Council member and key Israel backer the United States has unequivocally supported Israel, but with the humanitarian crisis in Gaza deepening, the United States has tempered its support for Israel to some extent.
The UN agency for Palestinians said on Sunday that Israel had definitively barred it from making aid deliveries in northern Gaza, where the threat of famine is highest.
Gaza's health ministry on Sunday put the total death toll from Israel's indiscriminate and devastating attacks on the territory at 32,333 most of them women and children.