US blocks UN resolution calling for ceasefire in Gaza war without mentioning Israeli right to self-defense
Resolution aims to prevent 'humanitarian' disasters like Gaza hospital blast
The United States voted against a UN Security Council resolution on Thursday that called for a “humanitarian pause” in the war between Israel and the Hamas terror organization, but didn’t mention that Israel had a right to defend itself.
The resolution, proposed by Brazil, had been discussed for several days following a Russian resolution on Monday that had also been rejected.
Despite the majority of UN Security Council members voting in favor (12:3) of the proposed resolution, Washington, as a permanent member of the body, vetoed it.
Russia and the United Kingdom abstained from the vote.
U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield explained the veto by stressing the need to allow more time for diplomatic efforts to succeed and criticized the draft for failing to mention Israel's right to defend itself.
The debate about the proposed resolutions was held in the aftermath of the Hamas claim that Israel was responsible for the explosion in the Al-Ma’amadani Hospital in Gaza on Tuesday, which has since been disproven.
One goal of the resolution was to prevent humanitarian disasters, using the example of the alleged Israeli strike on the Gaza hospital, despite Israel providing ample evidence that a failed rocket launch by the Palestinian Islamic Jihad terror organization was responsible for the blast.
Russia’s UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said the resolution, in any case, would not have prevented Tuesday’s explosion at the Gaza hospital. “It is only a cease-fire that will help to do this,” he said.
Russia’s own proposed resolution was rejected on Monday.
The resolution called for “an immediate, durable and fully respected humanitarian ceasefire” and condemned “all violence and hostilities directed against civilians and all acts of terrorism,” without mentioning the terror group Hamas at all.
The All Israel News Staff is a team of journalists in Israel.
