UN prepares to vote on Gaza resolution

The United Nations General Assembly is set to vote on Tuesday on an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the two-month-old conflict between Israel and Hamas.

The 193-member General Assembly is likely to pass a draft resolution that mirrors the language of one that was blocked by the United States in the 15-member Security Council last week.

Hundreds more civilians have died in Israel's assault on Gaza since the US vetoed the resolution calling for a ceasefire.

General Assembly resolutions are not binding but carry political weight and reflect global views.

Some diplomats and observers predict the vote will garner greater support than the Assembly's October call for "an immediate, durable and sustained humanitarian truce".

The vote was due a day after 12 Security Council envoys visited the Egyptian side of the Rafah border crossing with Gaza, the only place where limited humanitarian aid and fuel have entered.

The UAE arranged the trip, as the 15-member council negotiates a UAE-drafted resolution that demands the warring parties "allow the use of all land, sea and air routes to and throughout" Gaza for aid. It was not immediately clear when the draft resolution could be put to a vote.

UAE UN Ambassador Lana Nusseibeh said the aim of the visit was "to learn first-hand what is needed in terms of a humanitarian operations scale-up that meet the needs of the Palestinian people in Gaza."

Meanwhile, according to reports on Sky News Arabia, Israel has requested Egypt and Qatar to mediate negotiations on another prisoner exchange deal within the framework of a new humanitarian truce.

According to Egyptian sources, the meetings are expected to take place soon between Israel, Egypt and Qatar, facilitated by the United States.

A humanitarian truce between Hamas and Israel that lasted for a week and ended on December 1 saw 105 hostages released from Gaza, in exchange for Israel releasing 240 Palestinian prisoners.

But efforts to extend the truce have faltered, and Israel says at least 137 hostages are believed to still be held by Hamas.