The United Nations Security Council has voted against a draft resolution calling for an “immediate” ceasefire in Gaza.
“The Security Council resolves on the need for an immediate and sustained ceasefire to protect civilians on all sides,” the U.S.-sponsored resolution said, calling for “humanitarian assistance” and the release of “all remaining hostages.”
Of the 15 countries taking part in the vote in New York on Friday, Algeria, China and Russia vetoed the motion, claiming the United States “deliberately misled the international community.”
Eleven countries including the United States, France, the United Kingdom, Ecuador, Japan, Malta, Mozambique, South Korea, Sierra Leone, Slovenia and Switzerland voted in favor of the resolution, while Guyana abstained from voting.
Russian Ambassador Vasily Nebenzia said the draft resolution was not a call for a ceasefire but “an effective green light for Israel to launch military operations in Rafah.”
Nebenzia criticized the motion for “not even mentioning Israel’s war crimes” and said it would “lead to the destruction of the entire Gaza Strip.”
US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield accused Russia and China of being “cynical” and “petty” and claimed they voted against the motion at the meeting because it was sponsored by the United States.
Ms Thomas also condemned the October 7 massacre by Hamas but stopped short of criticizing Israel, instead calling on Tel Aviv to end restrictions on humanitarian aid.
Attention will now turn to Doha, where Hamas and Israel are conducting truce talks brokered by the United States, Qatar and Egypt.
Negotiations have been tense as Hamas calls for a permanent ceasefire and Israel insists on the “total elimination” of the militant group.
In Brussels on Thursday, EU leaders called for “an immediate humanitarian pause leading to a sustainable ceasefire” in Gaza – the first time all 27 member states have issued a joint statement calling for an end to the conflict.
The EU is divided over language and has struggled for a unified response to Israel’s military occupation of Gaza.
Member states such as Belgium, Ireland and Spain have been calling for a ceasefire since October, while Israeli supporters such as the Czech Republic and Hungary have blocked the call, fearing it would violate Israel’s right to self-defense.
“Other countries have gradually joined our position, and the United States has already taken steps to [this position] also played a role.”
Britain voted in favor of the US draft resolution after taking a tough stance on Israel’s war in Gaza. On Wednesday, Foreign Secretary Lord Cameron said: “It is vital that we work to transform this ceasefire into a permanent and sustainable ceasefire.”
But Palestinian analyst Noor Odeh expressed doubts about the details of the U.S. draft, claiming it failed to hold Israel accountable for its actions and could harm Palestinians in the long term.
Former spokesman for the Palestinian Authority said I: “The UN resolution sells a ceasefire, but the text reads like a way to exonerate Israel — something that will harm Palestinians in the future. Future International Court of Justice [International Court of Justice] Rulings can adopt such language that ignores fundamental violations of international law.
“There is no mention of previous UN resolutions about how Israel has violated international law, blocked aid, bombed civilians… and of course there was nothing in the resolution that even forced Israel to actually agree to a ceasefire after the vote.
“The Security Council could take real action — they could impose an arms embargo or economic sanctions — but they did nothing.”
With the threat of famine endangering the lives of more than a million Palestinians, United Nations officials met in Cyprus on Thursday to draw up plans for how to distribute much-needed aid through a maritime corridor across Gaza.
according to OxfamIsraeli authorities have been denying the entry of civilian supplies with potential military use into Gaza.
Gaza’s health ministry on Thursday accused Israel of deliberately targeting the enclave’s health system, amounting to genocide against the Palestinian people, and called on all international humanitarian and health organizations to urgently enter Gaza.
The Israeli military said it was continuing “precision operations” at al-Shifa Hospital, killing 150 militants in or around the facility on the last day.
On Friday, an Israeli airstrike on a residential building in northwest Gaza City reportedly killed 10 people, while separate airstrikes on homes in the southern cities of Rafah and Khan Younis killed 11 people, bringing the Palestinian death toll to about 32,000 people. according to local health officials.
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