Russia push for UN Security Council action on Israel, Gaza fails

Monday’s vote on a U.N. Security Council resolution sponsored by Russia that demanded a humanitarian truce in the conflict between Israel and Palestinian terrorists Hamas in Gaza was postponed until Tuesday.

Five people voted in favor of the resolution, four against it, and six others abstained. For a resolution to be approved, it must have at least nine votes in favor and not face vetoes from the five permanent members (the United States, Russia, China, France, and the United Kingdom).

“Today, the entire world waited with bated breath for the Security Council to take steps in order to put an end to the bloodletting, but the delegations of the Western countries have basically stomped on those expectations,” Russia’s U.N. ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia, said to the council after the vote.

On Friday, Russia put out a one-page draft language that included demands for hostage release, access to humanitarian aid, and the safe evacuation of vulnerable populations. The document denounced all forms of terrorism and brutality against civilians but omitted mentioning Hamas, responsible for the 1,300 deaths in Israel on October 7.

“By neglecting to denounce Hamas, Russia is protecting a terrorist organization that brutally assaults defenseless individuals. It is revolting. Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the United States ambassador to the U.N., called it “hypocritical and indefensible.”

She stated that while the United States typically abstains from council action in favor of its friend Israel, “we do agree that this council should take action, but we have to get it right and we’ll work intensely with all members on the council to do so,”

To allow the council more time to compromise, the vote on the opposing Brazilian-drafted resolution, which denounces “the heinous terrorist attacks by Hamas,” was postponed until late Tuesday.

Amid U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken’s exhausting meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv, the council convened.

In the bloodiest attack on civilians in Israel’s 75-year history, Hamas fighters attacked Israeli cities, murdered 1,300 people, and took hostages. As a result, Israel has promised to destroy Hamas, which governs the Gaza Strip.

Israel is putting Gaza under complete isolation and preparing a ground attack while launching the most severe aerial bombardment ever. According to the Gazan authorities, at least 2,750 Palestinians have died.