The US vetoed a United Nations Security
Council resolution on Gaza calling for an instant humanitarian ceasefire
between Israel and Hamas on Friday.
The resolution was put forward by the
United Arab Emirates and supported by 90 plus member States. Thirteen members
of the UNSC voted in favour of the resolution, while the UK abstained from
voting.
United Nations’ US Deputy Representative
Robert Wood stressed, “Unfortunately, nearly all of our recommendations were
ignored. And the result of this rushed process was an imbalanced resolution
that was divorced from reality and that would not move the needle forward on
the ground in any concrete way. And so, we regretfully could not support it.”
“Perhaps most unrealistically, this
resolution retains a call for an unconditional ceasefire. I explained in my
remarks this morning why this is not only unrealistic but dangerous: it would
simply leave Hamas in place, able to regroup and repeat what it did on October
7,” stated Wood.
The US Deputy Representative said, “We
still cannot comprehend why the resolution’s authors declined to include
language condemning Hamas’ horrific terrorist attack on Israel on October 7. It
was an attack, which killed over 1,200 people, women, children and elderly.
People from a range of nationalities were burned alive, gunned down, became subject
to sexual violence.”
“We are very disappointed that for the
victims of these heinous acts, the resolution’s authors offered neither their
condolences nor condemnation of their murderers. It’s unfathomable. Nor is
there condemnation of the sexual violence unleashed by Hamas on October 7,” he
added.
Explaining the UK’s abstention from the
draft resolution, Ambassador and Permanent Representative of the UK to the UN
Barbara Woodward said her country could not vote in favour of a resolution that
fails to condemn the atrocities committed by Hamas on Israeli civilians on
October 7.
Barbara Woodward said, “Calling for a
ceasefire ignores the fact that Hamas has committed acts of terror and is still
holding civilians hostage.”
She noted that Israel needs to be able
to address the threat posed by Hamas and it needs to do so in a manner that abides
by international humanitarian law. She reiterated the importance of working
meaningfully towards a two-state solution.
Earlier, Robert Wood said US does not
support calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza as it “would only plant the
seeds for the next war.”
In his remarks at the UN Security
Council briefing on the situation in the Middle East, Robert Wood stated that
it continues to pose a threat to Israel and added, “An undeniable part of that
reality is that if Israel unilaterally laid down its weapons today, as some
Member States have called for, Hamas would continue to hold hostages.”
He said, “And as of today, Hamas
continues to pose a threat to Israel and remain in charge of Gaza. That is not
a threat that any one of our governments would allow to continue to remain on
our own borders. Not after the worst attack on our people in several decades.”
“For that reason, while United States
strongly supports a durable peace in which both Israelis and Palestinians can
live in peace and security, we do not support calls for an immediate ceasefire.
This would only plant the seeds for the next war – because Hamas has no desire
to see a durable peace or a two-state solution,” he added.
Wood called the UNSC’s failure to
condemn Hamas’ October 7 attack on Israel, including its acts of sexual
violence and other unthinkable evils, “a serious moral failure.” He emphasised
that the UNSC’s decision underscores the “fundamental disconnect between the
discussions that we have been having in this Chamber and the realities on the
ground.”
Meanwhile, UN Secretary-General Antonio
Guterres reiterated his condemnation of Hamas’ attacks on Israel on October 7.
Guterres expressed he is “appalled” by
the reports of sexual violence saying “the brutality perpetrated by Hamas can
never justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people”.
He concluded by urging the Council “to
spare no effort to push for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, for the
protection of civilians, and for the urgent delivery of lifesaving aid”.
ANI
