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A US-proposed draft to end the war in Gaza was vetoed today (22 Mar) by permanent Council members China and Russia, in a vote of 11 favour to three against (Algeria, China, Russia) and one abstention (Guyana). Speaking after the vote, United States Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said “Russia and China still could not bring itself to condemn Hamas’ terrorist attack on October 7th. Can we just pause on that for a moment? Russia and China refuse to condemn Hamas for burning people alive, for gunning down innocent civilians at a concert, for raping women and girls, for taking hundreds of people hostage. This was the deadliest single attack on Jews since the Holocaust.” She also said, “If an alternative resolution comes up for a vote and does not support the diplomacy happening on the ground, we may once again find this Council deadlocked. I truly hope that that does not come about.” For her part, Barbara Woodward, UK Permanent Representative to the United Nations, stated, “Through this resolution the Security Council would have rightly and for the first time, unequivocally condemned Hamas terrorist attacks. We're disappointed that the council was not able to send this important message.” Algerian Ambassador Amar Bendjama said, “Alarmingly, this text avoided mentioning the responsibility of the Israeli occupying power. these individuals were not lost through acts of self-harm, they killed. Their perpetrators must be held accountable.” Chinese Ambassador, Zhang Jun, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, explained, “An immediate ceasefire is a fundamental prerequisite for saving lives, expanding humanitarian access and preventing greater conflicts. The US draft, on the contrary, set up preconditions for a ceasefire, which is no different from giving a green light to continued killings. Which is unacceptable.” Vasily Nebenzya, Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations, said to the council members that voted in favor of today’s draft resolution, “They told you that you should not be worried because the Russian Federation would veto this in any way, but you would not go against the US text. That is it. That's the whole scenario. So don't try to hypocritically tell us that you are now disappointed that Russia and China vetoed the resolution. Once again, today you have covered yourselves with disgrace voting for text which yourselves do not support and did support.” Israeli Ambassador Gilad Erdan said, “The American resolution should it have passed would have marked a moment of morality for the UN, a place where good is evil and justice is injustice. It would have been the very first time that this council or any UN body condemned Hamas and their brutal massacre. Yet sadly, for purely political reasons, this resolution did not pass, and terrorists can continue benefiting from this council whitewashing their crime.” He also stated, “The only way, the only way to achieve a real and permanent ceasefire is to eliminate Hamas’s capabilities entirely and this cannot happen unless all of their battalions are demolished. You cannot extinguish a fire by putting out most of it. The fire will grow again and spread. This is what will happen without an operation in Rafah. Israel sees no alternative: the road to a permanent ceasefire passes through Rafah.” Press Release: 00:00:00 - Opening of Meeting 00:15:00 - Vote on Resolution Screenshot Credit: UN Photo/Evan Schneider
