UN Security Council rejects Russian-proposed resolution of ceasefire between Israel, Hamas

NEW YORK: The United Nations Security Council has rejected a Russian resolution calling for a humanitarian ceasefire of the conflict between Israel and Hamas as the draft did not get minimum number of votes to be passed. Russia had proposed a resolution calling for a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza. The Russian-led draft resolution received five votes in favour – China, Gabon, Mozambique, Russia, and the United Arab Emirates. Four nations – United Kingdom, United States, France and Japan on Monday voted against the draft resolution. France, US and UK voted against the resolution over its failure to condemn Hamas for its attacks on Israel. Six nations – Albania, Brazil, Ecuador, Ghana, Malta, and Switzerland abstained from voting on the resolution. Notably, the resolution would be have needed nine votes in favour to proceed. US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield stated that US could not support the Russian draft resolution as it ignored Hamas’ attack on Israel and dishonoured victims. Linda Thomas-Greenfield said, “By failing to condemn Hamas, Russia is giving cover to a terrorist group that brutalizes innocent civilians. It is outrageous, hypocritical and indefensible.” She condemned Hamas for killing civilians and taking hostages, including US citizens and slaughtering families. US envoy said that people of Gaza are facing dire humanitarian crisis due to the actions of Hamas. She said, “We cannot allow this Council to unfairly shift the blame to Israel and excuse Hamas for its decades of cruelty.”

UK’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Barbara Woodward said she voted against the draft resolution as she cannot support a document which fails to condemn Hamas terror attacks. She called it “unconscionable” for the UNSC to ignore the largest terror attack in Israel’s history. France’s Permanent Representative to the UN Nicolas de Riviere condemned Hamas’s attack on Israel and underscored the need to protect Israel’s security and its right to defend itself. He stated that France voted against the draft as it lacked “several essential elements.” Israel’s Permanent Representative to the UN Gilad Erdan said the Security Council is facing “one of the most pivotal moments in its history, a turning point, a moment of truth, that demonstrates whether it holds legitimacy and whether the United Nations has a moral compass.” Erdan called on the UNSC to designate Hamas as a terror organization, hold it fully responsible for what’s happening in Gaza, uphold Israel’s right to defend itself. Switzerland’s Permanent Representative to the UN Pascale Baeriswyl condemned the indiscriminate attacks and hostage-taking perpetrated by Hamas against Israel. She deplored the deaths of thousands of civilians in Israel and Gaza.

She said that Switzerland abstained from voting due to the lack of a clear reference to international humanitarian law, stressing: “Even armed conflicts have rules.” Russia’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations Vassily Nebenzia expressed regret over UNSC’s failure to adopt the resolution and blamed the “selfish intention of the western bloc.” Nebenzia said that the delegations of western nations “basically stomped” on global hopes for the Council to put an end to violence. He noted that the vote revealed countries which back ending the violence and providing humanitarian aid. He said that the Western nations have blocked the Council from “sending a unified message for purely selfish and political interests.” Amid the ongoing conflict between Israel and Hamas, the Israel Defence Forces (IDF) said Hamas has stolen fuel and medical equipment from UN officers in Gaza, enough to fulfill water desalination in the Strip for six days. “Today the United Nations revealed the true face of Hamas when they confirmed that Hamas stole fuel and medical equipment from UN officers in Gaza City. The amount of fuel stolen is enough to power Gaza’s water desalination for six days,” IDF spokesperson Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari said. The IDF further alleged that the Hamas terrorists were using civilians as human shields in the ongoing counter-offensive against them in the Gaza Strip. “Hamas is holding the people of Gaza hostage, cowardly, using them as human shields. Hamas is at war against humanity, not just Israel. They terrorize Jews and Arabs. They seek the deaths of Israelis and Palestinians. The Israel Defense Forces will destroy Hamas for the sake of Israel, Gaza, and the entire world,” he added. Meanwhile, the terror group’s military spokesman, Abu Obeida, claimed that they were holding between 200 and 250 hostages in Gaza, the Times of Israel reported. In a televised statement, Hamas said about 50 others are being held by other “resistance factions elsewhere.”