The United States was disappointed Sunday after the United Nations Security Council did not unanimously condemn the Hamas attack on Israel, indicating the attack was part of long-unresolved issues with Russia urging to take a broader view of the situation rather than denouncing powerful blow by a Palestinian resistance group.
“My message was to stop the fighting immediately and to go to a ceasefire and to meaningful negotiations, which was told for decades” by the Security Council, said Vassily Nebenzia, the Russian ambassador to the United Nations.
“This is partly the result of unresolved issues,” he said.
Numerous members of the UN Security Council denounced Hamas on Sunday over its massive assault on Israel but the United States regretted the lack of unanimity.
The closed-door session which was called on an emergency basis urged the members to unanimously condemn the Hamas attack — launched due to unabated Israeli brutality and fierce blockade of the Gaza Strip.
While deploring a discord in the UN body of permanent 5, US diplomat Robert Wood said: “There are a good number of countries that condemned the Hamas attacks. They’re obviously not all.”
“You could probably figure out one of them without me saying anything,” Wood said in a clear indication to Russia, whose relations with the West have deteriorated since it launched its special military operation against Ukraine.
There was no consideration of any joint statement, let alone a binding resolution, with members led by Russia calling for a broader focus than condemning Hamas.
“It’s abnormal that the Security Council doesn’t say anything,” Ambassador Zhang Jun said.
Entering the session, Israel’s ambassador, Gilad Erdan, showed graphic pictures of Israeli civilians being taken captive by Hamas, without mentioning the brutality carried out by his own country for years on the innocent Palestinians.
“This unimaginable — unimaginable — atrocity must be condemned,” he said of the Security Council without mentioning the role his country played in marrying thousands of civilians, women and children over the years.
The Palestinian ambassador — who represents the West Bank-centered Palestinian Authority and not rival Hamas — called on the Security Council to focus on ending Israeli occupation.
“Regrettably, history for some media and politicians starts when Israelis are killed,” said the envoy, Riyad Mansour.
“This is not a time to let Israel double down on its terrible choices. This is a time to tell Israel it needs to change course, that there is a path to peace where neither Palestinians nor Israelis are killed,” he pointed out.__The News
