UNITED NATIONS, (United States): The UN Security Council could hold a vote next week, sought by Algeria, on a resolution seeking an “immediate” ceasefire in Gaza, diplomatic sources told AFP Saturday, although Washington again appeared set to block it.

Algeria launched discussions on a new draft after the International Court of Justice ruled in late January that Israel must do all it can to prevent genocidal acts in its war in Gaza, which it says is targeting Hamas militants.

The latest version of the text, seen by AFP Saturday, “demands an immediate humanitarian ceasefire that must be respected by all parties.”

It also “rejects forced displacement of the Palestinian civilian population,” and it “demands the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.”

The Gaza war began with Hamas’s October 7 attack which resulted in the deaths of about 1,160 people in Israel, mostly civilians, according to an AFP tally of Israeli official figures.