This Wednesday, Russia and the United States vetoed the respective draft resolutions of the United Nations (UN) Security Council on the conflict and humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip.
After an initial vote resulted in a veto of a North American draft resolution, the United Nations (UN) Security Council rejected a Russian-drafted resolution on the deterioration of the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip in a subsequent vote, with a veto from the United Nations. States and Great Britain.
The Russian project, the second presented by Moscow since the start of the conflict between Israel and the Islamist group Hamas, called for “an immediate, lasting and fully respected humanitarian ceasefire.”
The text received four votes in favour, nine abstentions and two vetoes from the permanent members of the Security Council.
Russia’s Ambassador to the UN, Vasily Nebenzya, expressed regret that the Council could not seize this opportunity to make a difference in the region plagued by a serious humanitarian crisis.
“It has become clear that the United States simply does not want the decisions of the UN Security Council to have any impact on a possible Israeli offensive in Gaza.”said Nebenzya.
‘What we want is to fight terrorists, not civilians’emphasized the ambassador, who regretted that his resolution had been rejected again.
The United Kingdom argued that it did not support Russia’s proposed resolution because it did not recognize Israel’s right to self-defense.
“The Russian text was put to the vote without a single minute of consultation with the members of the Council. It was not a serious attempt to get this Council to speak with one voice.”criticized British diplomat Barbara Woodward.
Unlike other draft resolutions previously voted on in the Security Council on this crisis, the Russian text indicated that “the deterioration of the humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip poses a threat to peace and security in the region.”
The North American draft resolution reaffirmed the Security Council’s determination to counter “threats to international peace and security posed by acts of terrorism” by all means, “in accordance with the Charter” and other obligations under international law.
The US draft resolution underwent a significant change during the negotiations, removing language defending “Israel’s inherent right to individual or collective self-defense.” This language was unacceptable to several members of the Council.
Unlike the Russian draft resolution, the US text did not call for a ceasefire, a measure that Washington currently opposes. ?????????
However, in response to requests from several members during the negotiations, a call was added to the US text for “all necessary measures, such as humanitarian pauses, to enable full, rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian access” for civilians.
US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said she was “deeply disappointed” by Russia and China’s vetoes of her resolution, which she saw as “strong and balanced”.
The diplomat also appealed to the other Council member states not to support the Russian project, which would ultimately be rejected by vetoes from the United States and Britain.
In view of the deadlock in the Council, and on behalf of the body’s ten non-permanent countries, Malta will now work on a new proposal. “We have a duty and an obligation to act,” argued the ambassador, Vanessa Frazier.
Given the divisions expressed in the Security Council, the UN General Assembly will discuss the issue at a meeting on Thursday and Friday.
Although the resolutions of the Assembly, which represents all 193 UN member states, are not binding, Arab countries have proposed a text to be voted on this week.
Hamas’ surprise attack on Israel on October 7 resulted in the deaths of more than 1,400 people, most of them civilians, and the capture of 220 hostages, sparking a new conflict in the Middle East, now in its 19th day .
Israeli bombing of the Gaza Strip also continues, killing more than 6,500 people, almost half of them children, and wounding more than 17,000, according to the local Health Ministry, controlled by Hamas.
Israel also imposed a total siege on Palestinian territory, cutting off water, fuel and electricity supplies, resulting in a critical humanitarian situation.
Source: DN
