US call for ceasefire in Gaza leads to veto between Russia and China at the UN
A US attempt to have the UN Security Council call for “an immediate and lasting ceasefire” in the Gaza Strip failed on Friday after Russia and China vetoed the US resolution, which includes some of the strongest statements made by Washington since the beginning of the war.
The resolution reflected the Biden administration’s growing frustration both with the dire humanitarian crisis in Gaza and with Israel’s conduct in a war that has killed some 30,000 people and left much of the enclave in ruins. The government is putting pressure on Israel not to attack the southern Gaza city of Rafah, where more than a million civilians have taken refuge, and to allow more aid to enter the area.
But international friction, including over Washington’s past use of its veto power in the Security Council and its refusal to call for a permanent ceasefire, doomed the resolution. Eleven members voted in favor of the resolution, but Russia and China – the permanent members – voted against, as did Algeria. Guyana abstained.
Secretary of State Antony J. Blinken, who toured Israel on Friday, expressed disappointment that the resolution failed.
“I think we were trying to show the international community a sense of urgency about reaching a ceasefire linked to the release of hostages, something that everyone, including the countries that vetoed the resolution, should have been able to get behind,” he said. said.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated his position that, despite growing international criticism, his country’s ground forces would launch an offensive against Rafah to root out Hamas, the group that led the October 7 attack that precipitated Israel’s invasion of Gaza. The Biden administration has repeatedly said that an incursion into Rafah, which borders Egypt, would cause heavy civilian casualties and hamper aid delivery.
“We have no way to defeat Hamas without entering Rafah and eliminating the rest of the battalions there,” Netanyahu said in a statement on Friday after a meeting in Tel Aviv with Mr Blinken. “And I told him that I hope we will do it with the support of the US. But if we have to, we will do it alone.”
The US resolution states that the Security Council “determines the need for an immediate and lasting ceasefire.” Representatives of the three dissenting countries and Guyana said it did not go far enough in demanding or enforcing a ceasefire.
Amar Bendjama, Algeria’s ambassador to the United Nations, said a reference in the measure to reducing harm to civilians in “ongoing and future operations” in Gaza implied a “license for continued bloodshed.”
“The text presented today does not convey a clear message of peace,” Mr Bendjama said.
After the vote, US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield defended the resolution, which condemned Hamas, saying it was “put forward in good faith after consultation with all Council members and after multiple rounds of editing.”
She said Russia and China vetoed the resolution for two reasons: they refused to condemn Hamas and they “simply did not want to vote for a resolution drafted by the United States because it would rather see us fail than see it Council would succeed. .”
Whether or not Russia and China were motivated by a desire to thwart or embarrass the United States, it is clear that their relations with Washington are as hostile as ever before, with conflict over a host of issues, including the Russian invasion of Ukraine, Chinese plans for Taiwan, economic sanctions and trade tariffs. In 2022, Russia vetoed two Security Councils that condemned its behavior in Ukraine.
Ms Thomas-Greenfield said the US draft would have placed the weight of the Security Council behind diplomatic efforts “to secure an immediate and lasting ceasefire as part of an agreement leading to the release of all hostages” and “enabling much more humanitarian assistance.” to enter Gaza.”
Russia’s ambassador to the United Nations, Vasily Nebenzya, had denounced the US-backed measure before the vote, calling it a “hypocritical initiative” and “a watered-down formulation” regarding a ceasefire.
“To save the lives of peaceful Palestinians, this is not enough,” he said. The draft, he claimed, was written with US political interests in mind, to “play to voters and encourage them.”
He urged Council members to vote against the resolution, saying: “We cannot allow the Security Council to become an instrument to further Washington’s destructive policies in the Middle East.”
The United States had vetoed three previous resolutions demanding a halt to fighting in Gaza, arguing that the measures could disrupt hostage negotiations and undermine Israel’s right to defend itself after the 7 Hamas-led attack to defend October vigorously. Voting in the Council, the United States was the only one to vote against the resolutions. Russia and Britain abstained in the first vote in October, and Britain abstained in December and February.
But as the death toll in Gaza has risen and hunger and disease have worsened across the territory, President Biden and other US officials have become increasingly critical of Mr Netanyahu and his handling of the war, calling on him to provide more aid the Gaza Strip. Gaza and to do more to protect civilians.
After meeting on Friday with Mr. Netanyahu and members of his war cabinet, Mr. Blinken said at a news conference that an immediate ceasefire would allow the release of hostages and “ramp up” humanitarian aid to alleviate acute suffering to relieve the population. territory has 2.2 million citizens.
Mr Blinken, concluding his sixth trip to the Middle East since the start of the war, warned that a major military ground operation in Rafah was not the way to guarantee Israel’s long-term security.
“It risks further isolating Israel around the world and endangering its long-term security and status,” he said, adding that US officials looked forward to meeting with Israeli officials in Washington next week “to discuss about another way to achieve those objectives. .”
Mr Netanyahu said in his statement that Israel recognized the need to protect civilians and ensure humanitarian aid to Gaza, but was determined to go ahead with the planned invasion.
Benny Gantz, Netanyahu’s main political rival, appeared to endorse this view, saying in a statement that Israel “must dismantle Hamas’ military infrastructure, including in Rafah.” Mr. Gantz, an opposition leader who crossed parliamentary lines to join the war cabinet, thanked Mr. Blinken “for his support for Israel and the deep American commitment to its security.”
U.S. officials said they believed no operation in Rafah by the Israeli military was imminent, giving the United States time to either reach a hostage deal that would broker a temporary ceasefire or propose other options to the Israelis at meetings next week. .
Israel is not yet prepared to push its forces into Rafah, which will be a difficult ground operation to carry out, they said.
As the Secretary of State made the final stop of a multi-part tour of the Middle East, William J. Burns, the director of the CIA, traveled to Qatar to participate in talks aimed at reaching an agreement between Israel and Hamas that would mark the beginning of a time-limited ceasefire. fire and an exchange of Palestinians captured by Israel for Israeli hostages held in Gaza.
Speaking to reporters in Cairo on Thursday, Mr Blinken said the gap between Hamas and Israel’s negotiating positions was “narrowing” but that striking a deal would be difficult.
Julian E Barnes reporting contributed.