Washington DC, United States: At the UN Security Council, the United States has used its veto to restrain the resolution to call Israel to open doors for humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip. On Wednesday, out of the fifteen (15) voters, the US was the only one to veto, whereas two (2) countries – Russia and the United Kingdom abstained from the resolution.
The remaining twelve (12) members, including the United Arab Emirates, China and France, voted in favor.
After voting, US Ambassador to the United Nations – Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said, “We are on the ground doing the hard work of diplomacy,” according to Al Jazeera. “We believe we need to let that diplomacy play out,” she added.
The United States has exercised its Security Council veto to protect Israel from critical resolutions. The nation has claimed that it has not put enough effort into safeguarding the Israeli right to self-defense.
The voting was scheduled amid the surged tensions in the region following a deadly explosion at the hospital in Gaza City. It is to be noted that following this attack, hundreds of protestors have come to the streets in different countries. This bombardment in the hospital was one of the deadliest in Gazan history, which drew widespread outrage.
However, Biden has stood in support of Israel and stated that the attack was carried out by “some other party,” not Israel. The US outlined the US Department of State will continue to collect evidence.
According to the health authorities of Palestine, the bombardment killed more than 471 people. The Palestinian Authority has blamed continuous air raids by the Israeli Defense Forces, whereas the government of Israel has pointed to the Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) for failed rocket launches. The allegations have been rejected by PIJ.
Protests have erupted across the region, and the concerns for the armed groups have also heightened. The uncertainty around the cause of the explosion has added fuel to the fire.
UN Middle East peace envoy – Tor Wennesland, while addressing the council, said, “The world was at the brink of a deep and dangerous abyss that could change the trajectory of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict, if not of the Middle East as a whole.”
Hamas killed around 1,400 Israeli people:
The disturbance in the region started after Hamas – the Palestine-aided group surprisingly attacked Israel on October 7. Amid the attack, the Palestinian gunmen killed hundreds of civilians in Israeli towns and kibbutzim. Additionally, the militants of the terrorist group have also held 199 people captive.
On the other hand, the Defense Force of Israel has claimed that around 1,400 people have lost their lives and 4,000 were injured.
US, Israel and Palestine:
The United States has always stood firm in support of Israeli authorities, due to which it has also faced backlash as some authorities blame Israel for the violation of international laws.
However, it is to be noted that the Biden administration has always focused on avoiding the killing of Palestinian civilians during the crossfire or air raids. It has also (directly) criticized the Israeli administration for cutting off access to food, water, electricity, and fuel – affecting the lives of people living in the region.
Killings in Gaza:
The authorities of Palestine have stated that more than 3,400 people have lost their lives in the counterattack by Israeli Defense Forces. Additionally, over 12,000 people were injured in Gaza.
Thomas-Greenfield mentioned, “Hamas’ own actions have brought this on – this severe humanitarian crisis,” according to Al Jazeera.
Russia’s comment on the US veto:
Following the US veto, Russia slammed the nation and stated that the administration of the United States has been talking about human rights and international laws for self-serving.
Reportedly, the Russian Ambassador to the United Nations – Vassily Nebenzia, said, “We have just been witnesses once again of hypocrisy and the double standards of our American colleagues.”