The North American delegation has asserted for the third time its right of veto to reject a text that also rejected the forced displacement of the Palestinian civilian population.
USA has once again vetoed a resolution in the UN Security Council submitted by Algeria on behalf of the Arab States, which called for “a humanitarian ceasefire immediate” in the Gaza Strip that had to be “respected by all parties.
The text has received 13 votes in favor, one against (United States) and one abstention (United Kingdom). To be adopted, the draft resolution had to receive at least 9 votes in favor and not be vetoed by one of the five permanent members of the Council (China, France, Russia, the United Kingdom and the United States). This is the third time that Washington has exercised its veto power on this issue.
In addition to an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, the text rejected the forced displacement of the Palestinian civilian populationincluding minors, in violation of international law, demanded the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages and called for unhindered humanitarian access.
US alternative resolution
The United States has announced that it is working on an alternative draft resolution – it does not yet have a voting date – that supported a “temporary” ceasefire in Gaza, and demanded certain conditions such as the cessation of fighting “as soon as possible”, the condemnation of Hamas, and the release of all hostages. The draft also reiterates the vision of a two-state solution, Israel and Palestine.
US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield has argued that the text presented by Algeria does not provide lasting peace, but rather prolongs the captivity of the hostages and the humanitarian crisis. Thus, she has revealed that the US is working on another resolution that will do so. “At a time when many parties are engaged in delicate negotiations, now is not the time for this resolution, which jeopardizes these efforts,” she said.
The attitude of the United States has been criticized by Russia and China, the two great powers that also sit on the Security Council. Russian ambassador Vassily Nebenzia has stated that Washington continues to give Israel a “license to kill.”
After the vote, the ambassador and permanent observer of the State of Palestine has assured that “despite the almost unanimous calls” of the international community in favor of a ceasefire, Israel continues with its offensive. “In the last 20 days alone, Israel has killed almost 4,000 more Palestinian children, women and men. This is a deplorable consequence of inaction,” she denounced.
Source: Eitb
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