UN Security Council Fails to Agree on Gaza Ceasefire
The UN Security Council convened on Friday to discuss the war in the Gaza Strip, with Secretary General Antonio Guterres calling for a humanitarian ceasefire. However, the meeting ended with the resolution falling through after the US vetoed the proposal.
During the debate, Guterres criticized Hamas’ actions, stating that the organization’s brutality cannot justify collective punishment for the Palestinians. He also highlighted the lack of protection for civilians in Gaza and condemned Hamas’ use of civilians as human shields. Guterres warned of devastating consequences if the aid system in Gaza collapsed, including a potential mass migration to Egypt and spillover to the West Bank and Lebanon.
Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, argued that calling for a ceasefire would be a forgiveness of Hamas’ deliberate attacks and a green light for the organization to continue terror. He also criticized Guterres’ decision to invoke Article 99, which authorizes the Security Council to demand a ceasefire in an armed conflict.
However, the US ambassador to the Security Council, Robert Wood, stated that the US does not support the call for an immediate cease-fire, citing ongoing threats posed by Hamas.
The Russian ambassador used the discussion to attack Israel for “committing crimes against humanity in Gaza,” drawing attention away from his own country’s controversial actions.
The failure of the Security Council to agree on a ceasefire resolution highlights the ongoing challenges in the conflict, with no immediate end in sight to the violence in Gaza.