The draft resolution demanding an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip and the release of all captives was put to vote at the UN Security Council. At the same time, 14 representatives on the 15-member Security Council voted in favor of the resolution rejecting “any effort to starve Palestinians” and demanding the delivery of humanitarian aid to civilians in Gaza. The bill was rejected because the representative of the United States, a permanent member of the council, vetoed it.
Speaking at the session after the vote, US Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Ambassador Robert Wood said, “During the negotiations, we clearly stated that we cannot support an unconditional ceasefire in which the hostages are not released.”
US representative Wood said, “This draft resolution would send a dangerous message to Hamas that there is no need to return to the negotiation table.” Wood said, “The United States, together with its partners in the region, has worked tirelessly to reach such an agreement.” He claimed that Hamas was responsible for the failure to achieve this goal.
“We have made clear that it is time for this war to end, for the hostages to be released and for Palestinian civilians to begin rebuilding their lives,” Wood said in his speech to the Security Council session. More immediately, the United States has made clear to Israel that it has a responsibility to facilitate access to humanitarian aid and deliver aid at scale. We believe that the fact that we have set out our expectations from Israel in great detail has brought about a change in Israel’s approach. “American diplomacy will continue to press for more aid to be delivered to Gaza,” he said.
“IT IS A SAD DAY FOR THE UN AND THE ENTIRE INTERNATIONAL COMMUNITY”
Algeria’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Amar Bendjama, pointed out that the bill was presented to the council by “10 elected members representing the common will of the international community in the UN Security Council” and thanked the representatives of the countries who voted in favor of the draft resolution. Bendjama said, “Today is a sad day for the UN Security Council, the United Nations and the entire international community. The draft resolution, which we failed to accept today, aimed to break the 5-month silence after the adoption of draft resolution No. 2735. The Security Council remained inactive for five months, its hands tied. “This text, although far from perfect, represented the minimum that could unite us,” he said.
“Unfortunately, WE CONTINUE TO REMAIN INdifferent TO YOUR PAIN”
Emphasizing that with the rejection of the bill, the UN Security Council sent a message to the occupying Israeli forces to “continue the genocide”, Bendjama said, “You can continue the collective punishment of the Palestinian people and you have complete immunity in this council. A clear message was sent to the Palestinian people. “While the overwhelming majority of the world shows solidarity with you regarding your suffering, unfortunately we continue to remain indifferent to your suffering,” he said.
“WITH EVERY VETO, THE NUMBER OF DEATHS CONTINUED TO INCREASE IN GAZA”
China’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Fu Cong, said: “In the future, people will look back and find it hard to believe what happened. When the USA used its first veto on October 18 last year, approximately 3 thousand civilians lost their lives in Gaza. When the USA used its second veto, 17 thousand people had died as a result of Israeli bombardments. “With each veto, the death toll in Gaza continued to increase,” he said. Emphasizing that the death toll in Gaza reached 44 thousand, but the USA did not hesitate to use its veto right, Fu Cong said, “Do the lives of Palestinians mean nothing? Does the death of 44 thousand people not evoke any sympathy in the United States? “How many more people have to die?” he said.
“THE USA PREVENTED THE UN SECURITY COUNCIL FROM TAKING ACTION FOR MONTHS”
Russia’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, said: “It is shocking that the US vetoed an initiative aimed at saving the lives of Palestinians and Israelis. But perhaps we shouldn’t be surprised by this situation. For months, the United States has blocked the UN Security Council from taking action to address the catastrophic situation in Gaza. “By supporting one of the parties to the conflict, he acted in pursuit of his own political goals at the expense of Palestinian lives,” he said.