The United States on Friday vetoed a Security Council resolution calling for an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire” in Gaza, despite pressure from the secretary-general who denounced the “collective punishment” inflicted on the Palestinians.
The draft resolution, which received 13 votes in favor, one against (United States) and one abstention (United Kingdom), was prepared by the United Arab Emirates.
In an unprecedented move, Antonio Guterres on Wednesday invoked Article 99 of the United Nations Charter allowing the Secretary-General to draw the attention of the Security Council to a matter that “could endanger the maintenance of peace and international security.
But the Americans, allies of Israel, repeated their hostility to a cease-fire on Friday.
“We do not support calls for an immediate ceasefire,” insisted Deputy US Ambassador Robert Wood. “This would only plant the seeds for a future war, because Hamas has no desire for lasting peace,” he added, also deploring the lack of condemnation of the Hamas attacks of October 7, a “moral failure”.
The Israeli ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, estimated that “the real path to peace is only to support Israel’s mission, absolutely not a call for a ceasefire”.
The draft resolution, highlighting the “catastrophic situation in the Gaza Strip,” demanded “an immediate humanitarian ceasefire.” The very short text also called for the protection of civilians, the “immediate and unconditional” release of all hostages and “ensuring humanitarian access”.
Putting pressure on the members of the Security Council, Antonio Guterres justified his invocation of article 99 on Friday morning by once again emphasizing the risk of “total collapse of public order” in the Gaza Strip.
“I condemn without reservation” the Hamas attacks of October 7, but “the violence perpetrated by Hamas can in no way justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people,” he declared.
“Accomplices to the massacre”
He also said he was “appalled by the accusations” of sexual violence from Hamas, as did his special representative on sexual violence during conflicts Pramila Patten who will make an official visit to Israel on this issue.
But “if the indiscriminate firing of Hamas rockets towards Israel, and the use of civilians as human shields are violations of the laws of war, such behavior does not absolve Israel of its own violations,” insisted Antonio Guterres .
“The world and History are watching us. It is time to act,” he added to the Council.
The Palestinian ambassador to the UN, Riyad Mansour, added: “The time for courage has come. […] You must act now. »
And in Washington, the foreign ministers of several Arab countries and Turkey called for an “immediate” end to the war.
Other projects rejected before
After the unprecedented attack against Israel carried out on October 7 by the Palestinian Islamist movement Hamas, which according to the Israeli authorities left around 1,200 dead, mainly civilians, Israel imposed a “complete siege” and massively shelled the Gaza Strip, reducing in ruins of large areas.
Food, water, fuel and medicine are only trickling in, while around 1.9 million people, or 85% of the population, have had to leave their homes according to the UN since the beginning hostilities, which left more than 17,000 dead, according to the Hamas Ministry of Health.
Since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas, this is the fifth draft resolution rejected by the Council, which has been largely divided for years on the Israeli-Palestinian issue.
Four projects had already been rejected in the weeks following October 7, due to lack of sufficient votes, or due to Russian, Chinese or American vetoes.
The Security Council finally broke its silence in mid-November, succeeding in adopting a resolution which called for “humanitarian pauses and corridors” in the Gaza Strip, but not for a “ceasefire” or even a ” Truce.”
“The inaction of the United Nations Security Council and the vetoes of member states, notably the United States, make them complicit in the ongoing massacre,” denounced Doctors Without Borders in a press release.