China, Russia condemn US for blocking Gaza ceasefire proposal
The United States has blocked a draft resolution at the United Nations Security Council calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, marking the fourth time it has used its veto power during the ongoing conflict to protect Israel.
Fourteen out of the 15 Security Council members supported the resolution, which demanded an immediate, unconditional, and permanent end to the war, along with the release of all remaining hostages.
However, US Deputy Ambassador to the UN, Robert Wood, argued that the resolution “abandoned” the need to link a ceasefire with the release of hostages, warning that it would send a “dangerous message” to Hamas.
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) consists of five permanent members with veto power and ten elected members. The draft resolution, which was proposed by this group, also included a clause rejecting any efforts to starve Palestinians.
The vote took place amid warnings from the UN that Palestinians in northern Gaza, under siege by Israeli forces, were facing rapidly worsening conditions, with little to no aid reaching the area for 40 days. A UN-backed assessment earlier this month indicated that famine was likely imminent in these areas.
The Israeli military has stated that its six-week offensive targets Hamas fighters, while also facilitating civilian evacuations and supplying hospitals.
After the US veto, China’s ambassador questioned whether Palestinian lives meant anything, while France condemned the violation of international humanitarian law and called for an immediate and permanent ceasefire. The UK voiced its desire to end the war, alleviate suffering in Gaza, and secure the immediate release of all hostages.
However, the most severe criticism of the US came from outside the Council. Louis Charbonneau, the UN director for Human Rights Watch (HRW), accused the US of once again using its veto to shield Israel from accountability as its forces continued committing crimes against Palestinians in Gaza. Israel has rejected such accusations.
The current war began after Hamas gunmen attacked Israeli communities, killing about 1,200 people and taking 253 hostages, according to Israeli figures. In Gaza, more than 43,920 people have been killed since the conflict erupted, according to the territory’s health ministry.
China and Russia have sharply criticized the United States after it blocked a Gaza ceasefire proposal.
China’s UN envoy stated that the US has “stifled the hopes for salvation” of Gaza’s residents. Meanwhile, Russia’s UN representative told the US envoy, “You have finally admitted your responsibility for the deaths of tens of thousands of innocent civilians.”
Proofreading by Uchechi Ojo, Sub-editor at NeptunePrime.
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