Israeli troops battle Hamas fighters in the Gaza Strip, with no sign of a let-up in the escalation despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an “immediate ceasefire”, AFP reports.

The resolution was adopted on Monday after Israel’s closest ally the United States abstained.

It demands an “immediate ceasefire” for the ongoing month of Ramazan, leading to a “lasting” truce.

It also demands that Hamas and other militants free hostages they took during the unprecedented October 7 attacks on Israel, though it does not directly link the release to a truce.

After the vote, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres led calls for the resolution to be implemented.

“Failure would be unforgivable,” he wrote on social media platform X.

Israel reacted furiously to the US abstention, as it allowed the resolution to go through with all the other 14 Security Council members voting yes.

The resolution is the first since the Gaza conflict erupted to demand an immediate halt in the fighting.