The news from the United Nations in the United States on Wednesday reported that the UN Security Council failed to take action regarding the Israel-Hamas war. This failure was due to Russia and China vetoing a resolution led by the United States, and another resolution led by Russia did not receive enough support. Despite efforts by France to delay the vote and seek consensus, both resolutions were destined to fail.
The United States, a historical supporter of Israel, proposed a resolution that aimed to support “humanitarian pauses” for aid delivery into the blockaded Gaza Strip and uphold the right of “all states” to self-defense within the boundaries of international law. Notably, this draft did not call for a full cease-fire. In contrast, Russia presented its own proposal calling for an “immediate, durable, and fully respected humanitarian cease-fire” while condemning all violence against civilians.
Ten countries supported the US resolution, but Russia and China exercised their veto power. The United Arab Emirates, which has normalized relations with Israel since 2020, voted against the resolution, along with Brazil and Mozambique, which abstained.
The Russian representative accused the United States of not wanting the UN Security Council decisions to influence a possible Israeli ground offensive in Gaza. He characterized the US resolution as politically motivated and designed to bolster the US’s regional political position.
The US ambassador, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, defended the resolution and claimed that the US had considered feedback from other nations. Secretary of State Antony Blinken spoke about “humanitarian pauses” but ruled out a formal cease-fire.
Ultimately, only Russia, China, the United Arab Emirates, and Gabon supported the draft resolution, while the United States and Britain voted against it, and nine other countries, including US allies France and Japan, abstained.
With the Security Council deadlocked, the broader UN General Assembly is set to discuss the war on Thursday and Friday. Resolutions from the General Assembly are non-binding, but there are efforts to pass a resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire and unhindered humanitarian aid access to Gaza. The conflict in Gaza has resulted in significant casualties, with concerns about the toll rising if Israel proceeds with a ground invasion to counter Hamas and rescue hostages.
Source: AFP
