US Tanked Gaza Resolution Now Compared to Russia

UN Photo/Eskinder Debebe | The 15 members of the UN Security Council meet to discuss the conflict in Gaza. Photo taken from UN News

A US veto prevented the United Nations Security Council from adopting a virtually unanimous resolution on the Israel-Hamas war. The Security Council’s sole responsibility is to act during times of international crisis.

The resolution demanded the return of Israeli hostages as well as the safety of Gaza’s residents, denounced the offensive by Hamas, and allowed for humanitarian access. The US cast the lone no vote on Wednesday, but since it is one of the five council members with veto authority, the resolution was defeated.

Due to the omission of Israel’s right to self-defense, the US rejected it. The approach prompted similarities to Russia, which used its veto power to block the council’s discussion of the war in Ukraine, and allegations of hypocrisy.

It was premature to release a resolution, according to U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, who argued that additional information from the field was required and that ongoing diplomatic efforts, including those of President Joe Biden, should continue.

Following the failure of the resignation, representatives from both Israel and the Palestinian Authority claimed that the council had let them down. But the two only really concurred on that. The council should issue a cease-fire order, according to the PA’s foreign minister.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres, who also called for a truce at today’s conference, is being called upon to quit by Israel’s representative. As he noted that the Oct. 7 incident “did not happen in a vacuum,” Guterres began the talks by denouncing Hamas for the vicious attacks and Israel for subjecting Palestinians to “56 years of suffocating occupation.”

The humanitarian crises and possibility of escalating war in the area are worsening while the UN Security Council remains polarized and dysfunctional due to divisions.

UN Chief Guterres Urges Security Council to Prioritize Civilian Protection in Israel-Palestine Conflict

The ongoing conflict between Israel and Palestine was the topic of the UN Security Council’s Tuesday meeting at UN Headquarters in New York. The attacks by Hamas on October 7 and the worsening humanitarian crisis as a result of Israel’s continued bombardment of the Gaza Strip have given the conflict greater urgency. The UN chief reiterated his plea for a quick humanitarian ceasefire, saying the situation “is growing more dire by the hour”. The day’s major highlights are listed below.

Several nation’s ambassadors remarked regarding the Israel-Gaza tension.

Iran

Iran’s ambassador, Amir Saied Iravani, claimed that the US Secretary of State tried to accuse Iran incorrectly once more today.

Because of its steadfast support for invasion and aggression, the United States is now a direct contributor to the issue. He said that by openly siding with the aggressor at the expense of the defenseless Palestinian population, the U.S. has further worsened the conflict.

The US became implicated in the barbaric slaughter of defenseless Palestinians in the Gaza Strip as a result of its quick delivery of military and logistical assistance to the tyrannical occupying power.

It is regretful that the US and several Western states have sought to transfer the responsibility from the criminal to the victim today in this Chamber, he said.

Syria

Al Haka Dindi, a representative for Syria, claimed that Israel’s heinous and murderous campaign was unfathomable and unimaginable. If certain Western states hadn’t given free rein to what they refer to as the right to self-defense, this criminal campaign would not have been conceivable. Thanks to the US, which not only blocked Security Council decisions but also gave Israel military help and millions of dollars to exterminate the Palestinians, Israel is following a scorched earth strategy by carrying out atrocities and genocide against the Palestinian people.

Lebanon

No law or theory, according to the representative for Lebanon, “justifies the systematic killing of a population that has spent more than fifty years living in an open-air prison.”

Speaking of resolutions, we regret to inform you that the Israeli occupying troops have utterly disregarded and ignored them.

He said, “The arrogant Israelis have even not responded to the repeated calls of the UN Secretary-General because they do not believe in this organization and do not believe in peace,” adding that the Arab States had embraced peace in 2002 through a Saudi proposal.

Qatar

Associating herself with the Arab Group, Ambassador Alya Ahmed Saif Al-Thani of Qatar recalled how frequently her nation has recently expressed concern against the intensification of Israeli policies, including attempts to change the geographical and historical status quo of the holy sites in Jerusalem. She continued, mentioning her nation’s efforts to secure the release of captives from the Gaza Strip:

“It has made appeals and tireless diplomatic efforts for mediation and dialogue toward a peaceful resolution of the conflict over the past two weeks.” She emphasized that Qatar vehemently disagrees with Israel’s statements, which she claimed painted a negative picture of her nation’s attempts at international mediation, which were commended by allies, the UN, and other international partners.

Several other countries expressed their disappointment and frustrations with the veto from US. Read the rest of the report from UN News here:
Israel-Palestine: Protection of civilians ‘must be paramount’ in war Guterres tells Security Council | UN News