The U.N. Security Council has failed again to address the Israeli-Hamas war in Gaza, rejecting rival United States and Russian resolutions.
The U.S. resolution would have reaffirmed Israelโs right to self-defense, urged respect for international laws โ especially protection of civilians โ and called for โhumanitarian pausesโ to deliver desperately needed aid to Gaza. Wednesdayโs vote in the 15-member council was 10 countries in favor, 3 against and 2 abstentions. The resolution was not adopted because both Russia and China cast vetoes.
The Russian resolution would have called for an immediate โhumanitarian cease-fire,โ and unequivocally condemned Hamasโ Oct. 7 attacks in Israel and โindiscriminate attacksโ on civilians and civilian objects in Gaza. The vote was 4 in favor, 2 against and 9 abstentions. The resolution wasnโt adopted because it failed to get the minimum nine โyesโ votes.
The council is charged under the U.N. Charter with maintaining international peace and security. But Wednesdayโs rejections, following its rejections last week of a Russian resolution and a Brazilian proposal, leave the Security Council divided and paralyzed in taking action on the Israeli-Hamas war.
Maltaโs U.N. Ambassador Vanessa Frazier told reporters before the vote that if both resolutions failed, she would attempt to draft a compromise resolution.
U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield accused Russia of submitting its text with no consultations โin bad faith.โ Russiaโs U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia called the U.S. draft a โpoliticizedโ proposal to shore up Israel, AP reports.
