Members of the U.N. Security Council on Wednesday condemned the U.S. for vetoing a decision demanding a cease-fire and unfettered humanitarian entry in Gaza, a transfer Washington defended as essential to guard ongoing diplomatic efforts.
It was the 15-member physique’s first vote on the state of affairs since November, when the United States – a key Israeli ally – additionally blocked a textual content calling for an finish to preventing.
“Today, the United States sent a strong message by vetoing a counterproductive U.N. Security Council resolution on Gaza targeting Israel,” Secretary of State Marco Rubio claimed in an announcement after Wednesday’s 14 to 1 vote.
He mentioned Washington wouldn’t help any textual content that “draws a false equivalence between Israel and Hamas, or disregards Israel’s right to defend itself.”
“The United States will continue to stand with Israel at the U.N.”
The draft decision had demanded “an immediate, unconditional and permanent cease-fire in Gaza respected by all parties.”
It additionally known as for the “immediate, dignified and unconditional release of all hostages held by Hamas and other groups,” and demanded the lifting of all restrictions on the entry of humanitarian assist into Gaza.
Hamas, whose unprecedented Oct. 7, 2023, incursion sparked the battle, condemned the “disgraceful” U.S. veto, reiterating accusations of “genocide” in Gaza, one thing Israel rejects.
The veto “marks a new stain on the ethical record of the United States of America,” the group mentioned in an announcement, accusing Washington of “legitimizing genocide, supporting aggression, and rationalizing starvation, destruction, and mass killings.”
‘Moral stain’
Pakistan’s Ambassador to the U.N. Asim Ahmad, in the meantime, mentioned the failed decision would “remain not only a moral stain on the conscience of this council, but a fateful moment of political application that will reverberate for generations.”
China’s Ambassador to the U.N. Fu Cong mentioned: “Today’s vote result once again exposes that the root cause of the council’s inability to quell the conflict in Gaza is the repeated obstruction by the U.S.”
The veto marks Washington’s first such motion since U.S. President Donald Trump took workplace in January.
Israel has confronted mounting worldwide stress to finish its battle in Gaza.
That scrutiny has elevated over flailing assist distribution in Gaza, which Israel blocked for greater than two months earlier than permitting a small variety of U.N. autos to enter in mid-May.
The United Nations, which warned final month that all the inhabitants within the besieged Palestinian territory was prone to famine, mentioned a trickle was removed from sufficient to satisfy the humanitarian wants.
‘Judged by historical past’
“The Council was prevented from shouldering its responsibility, despite the fact that most of us seem to be converging on one view,” mentioned France’s ambassador to the U.N., Jerome Bonnafont.
Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian ambassador to the U.N., mentioned after the Security Council vote he would now ask the General Assembly to move a decision calling for a cease-fire.
Israel’s ambassador to the U.N. Danny Danon, nevertheless, mentioned that the Palestinian plan to place the decision to a vote on the General Assembly, the place no nation can veto it, was pointless, telling international locations, “don’t waste more of your energy.”
“This resolution doesn’t advance humanitarian relief and undermines it. It ignores a working system in favor of political agendas,” he claimed.
“The United Nations must return to its original purpose-promoting peace and security-and stop these performative actions,” Rubio alleged.
Source: www.dailysabah.com