UPDATED 3:09 P.M.
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – The United States on Friday vetoed a United Nations Security Council demand for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the war between Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas in Gaza, diplomatically isolating Washington as it shields its ally.
Thirteen Security Council members voted in favor of a brief draft resolution, put forward by the United Arab Emirates, while Britain abstained. The vote came after U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres made a rare move on Wednesday to formally warn the 15-member council of a global threat from the two-month long war.
“It’s not an issue about isolation. It’s an issue about what we think is best to try to end this conflict as soon as possible and also to help facilitate more humanitarian assistance going into Gaza,” Deputy U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Robert Wood told reporters ahead of the vote.
“We can’t just snap our fingers and the conflict stops. This is a very, very difficult situation,” he said.
The United States and Israel oppose a ceasefire because they believe it would only benefit Hamas. Washington instead supports pauses in fighting to protect civilians and allow the release of hostages taken by Hamas in a deadly Oct. 7 attack on Israel.
A seven-day pause – that saw Hamas release some hostages and an increase in humanitarian aid to Gaza – ended on Dec. 1.
After several failed attempts to take action, the Security Council last month called for pauses in fighting to allow aid access to Gaza, which Guterres on Friday described as a “spiraling humanitarian nightmare.”
The U.S. favors its own diplomacy, rather than Security Council action, to win the release of more hostages and press Israel to better protect civilians in Gaza as it retaliates for the Hamas attack that Israel says killed 1,200 people.
However, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken acknowledged on Thursday that there was a “gap” between Israel’s intent to protect civilians and what has happened on the ground. Gaza’s Health Ministry says more than 17,480 people have been killed.
‘HUMAN PINBALLS’
Israel has bombarded Gaza from the air, imposed a siege and launched a ground offensive. The vast majority of the Palestinian enclave’s 2.3 million people have been driven from their homes.
“There is no effective protection of civilians,” Guterres told the council earlier on Friday. “The people of Gaza are being told to move like human pinballs – ricocheting between ever-smaller slivers of the south, without any of the basics for survival. But nowhere in Gaza is safe.”
In Washington, Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi told reporters earlier on Friday that if the Security Council failed to adopt the resolution, “it is giving Israel a license to continue with its massacre of Palestinians in Gaza.”
Along with demanding an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, the draft text said Palestinian and Israeli civilian populations must be protected and demanded the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.
Israel’s U.N. Ambassador Gilad Erdan told the Security Council earlier on Friday that there was a ceasefire that had been broken by Hamas on Oct. 7.
“The irony is that regional stability and the security of both Israelis and Gazans can only be achieved once Hamas is eliminated, not one minute before,” Erdan said. “So the true path to ensure peace is only through supporting Israel’s mission – absolutely not to call for a ceasefire.”
(Reporting by Michelle Nichols, additional reporting by Humeyra Pamuk and Jonathan Landay; editing by Susan Heavey, Frances Kerry, Mark Heinrich, Jonathan Oatis and Cynthia Osterman)
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UPDATED 1:23 P.M.
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) -Ahead of a delayed Friday vote by the United Nations Security Council on a demand for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war, the United States – a veto power – told the 15-member body it does not support calls for such a move.
“This would only plant the seeds for the next war – because Hamas has no desire to see a durable peace,” Deputy U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Robert Wood told the council, which met to be briefed by U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres.
A Security Council vote on a resolution drafted by the United Arab Emirates was delayed several hours until 3 p.m. (2000 GMT) – shortly before U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken meets in Washington with ministers from Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the Palestinian Authority and Turkey.
“Today this council will vote, it will have an opportunity to respond to the deafening calls across the world to bring this violence to an end,” Deputy UAE Ambassador to the U.N. Mohamed Abushahab told the council.
In Washington, Jordan’s Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi told reporters that if the Security Council fails to adopt the resolution, “it is giving Israel a license to continue with its massacre of Palestinians in Gaza.”
Along with demanding an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, the draft resolution also says Palestinian and Israeli civilian populations must be protected and demands the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.
‘SPARE NO EFFORT’
The United States has repeatedly pushed the council to condemn an Oct. 7 Hamas attack, during which Israel says 1,200 people were killed and 240 people were taken hostage. Wood said the council inaction was a “serious moral failure.”
Israel has focused its retaliation against Hamas in Gaza, bombarding it from the air, imposing a siege and launching a ground offensive. Gaza’s Health Ministry says that so far, more than 17,480 people have been killed. The vast majority of Gaza’s 2.3 million people have been driven from their homes.
To pass, a resolution needs at least nine votes in favor and no vetoes by the council’s permanent members: the U.S., Russia, China, France or Britain. After several failed attempts to take action, the council last month called for pauses in fighting to allow aid access to Gaza.
“I urge the council to spare no effort to push for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, for the protection of civilians, and for the urgent delivery of lifesaving aid,” Guterres said on Friday.
Guterres – who has long called for a humanitarian ceasefire – made a rare move on Wednesday to formally warn the body of a global threat from the war.
Israel’s U.N. Ambassador Gilad Erdan told the Security Council on Friday that there was a ceasefire that had been broken by Hamas on Oct. 7.
“The irony is that regional stability and the security of both Israelis and Gazans can only be achieved once Hamas is eliminated, not one minute before,” Erdan said. “So the true path to ensure peace is only through supporting Israel’s mission – absolutely not to call for a ceasefire.”
(Reporting by Michelle Nichols, additional reporting by Humeyra Pamuk and Jonathan Landay; editing by Susan Heavey, Frances Kerry, Mark Heinrich, Jonathan Oatis and Cynthia Osterman)
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UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) -A U.N. Security Council vote on a demand for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war was delayed by several hours on Friday until after a planned meeting between Arab ministers and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
The United States – a veto-wielding power on the council – has said it does not currently support further action by the 15-member body on the conflict between its ally Israel and Islamist militant group Hamas in Gaza, a Palestinian enclave. The council last month called for pauses in fighting to allow aid access.
The United States and Israel oppose a ceasefire because they believe it would only benefit Hamas. Washington instead supports pauses in fighting to protect civilians and allow the release of hostages taken by Hamas in a deadly Oct. 7 attack on Israel.
“While the United States strongly supports a durable peace, in which both Israelis and Palestinians can live in peace and security, we do not support calls for an immediate ceasefire,” Deputy U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Robert Wood told the council.
“This would only plant the seeds for the next war because Hamas has no desire to see a durable peace,” he said.
The council was now due to vote on a resolution drafted by the United Arab Emirates at 5.30 p.m. (2230 GMT) – just after Blinken meets in Washington with ministers from Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, the Palestinian Authority and Turkey.
“Today this council will vote, it will have an opportunity to respond to the deafening calls across the world to bring this violence to an end,” Deputy UAE Ambassador to the U.N. Mohamed Abushahab told the council.
To be adopted, a Security Council resolution needs at least nine votes in favor and no vetoes by the five permanent members – the United States, Russia, China, France or Britain.
‘SPARE NO EFFORT’
While the vote was delayed, the council still convened Friday morning to hear a briefing by U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres after he made a rare move on Wednesday to formally warn the body of a global threat from the war.
“I urge the council to spare no effort to push for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, for the protection of civilians, and for the urgent delivery of lifesaving aid,” said Guterres – who has long called for a humanitarian ceasefire.
Israel’s U.N. Ambassador Gilad Erdan said there had been a ceasefire that was broken by Hamas on Oct. 7.
“The irony is that regional stability and the security of both Israelis and Gazans can only be achieved once Hamas is eliminated, not one minute before,” Erdan said. “So the true path to ensure peace is only through supporting Israel’s mission – absolutely not to call for a ceasefire.”
Israel says 1,200 people were killed and 240 people taken hostage during the Oct. 7 cross-border assault by Hamas. Israel has focused its retaliation against Hamas in Gaza, bombarding it from the air, imposing a siege and launching a ground offensive.
Gaza’s Health Ministry says that so far, 17,170 people have been killed. The vast majority of Gaza’s 2.3 million people have been driven from their homes.
The U.S. offered substantial amendments to the UAE-drafted resolution to be voted on Friday, including a condemnation of the Hamas attacks. This was not added to the text.
The draft was amended to say both “the Palestinian and Israeli civilian populations must be protected in accordance with international humanitarian law” and to “demand the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages”.
(Reporting by Michelle Nichols; editing by Susan Heavey, Frances Kerry and Mark Heinrich)
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