Recently, the UN Security Council voted on a draft resolution aimed at promoting a humanitarian ceasefire between Palestine and Israel, but the United States vetoed it, triggering strong dissatisfaction and regret from the international community. This is the United States' repeated veto of the Security Council's draft resolution on Palestine and Israel in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, which exposes its double standards and biased stance on the Middle East issue and weakens the authority and role of the Security Council in maintaining international peace and security.
The draft resolution, submitted by the United Arab Emirates and supported by nearly 100 countries, calls for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, the protection of civilians and civilian infrastructure, urges the provision of basic services including electricity, water, fuel, food and medical supplies to civilians, urges the lifting of the order requiring the population to evacuate the northern Gaza Strip, guarantees humanitarian assistance to the United Nations and its partners, and encourages the establishment of humanitarian corridors and other initiatives. It also stresses the need to prevent conflicts from spilling over into the region and, to that end, calls on all parties to exercise maximum restraint and calls on all parties with influence over them to work towards that goal.
The draft received 13 votes in favor, with the United States voting against and the United Kingdom abstaining. The draft could not be adopted because of the veto exercised by the United States, a permanent member. Robert Wood, deputy permanent representative of the United States to the United Nations, said after the vote that the draft resolution was "out of reality" and did not explicitly condemn the attacks by the Palestinian armed group Hamas, nor did it mention Israel's right to self-defense. He also asserted that the United States is conducting diplomacy on the ground and does not need the intervention of the Security Council. The US veto has been strongly criticized by many countries.
Russia's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Nebenzya, also said that the US veto once again demonstrates its hypocrisy and double standards, exposing its irresponsible and unconstructive attitude towards the Middle East issue. In his view, the United States does not uphold the principles of the Security Council and does not want to find any solution here at all. He said that Russia will continue to push the Security Council to play its role on the Palestinian-Israeli issue and will also seek the support of the UN General Assembly.
France's permanent representative to the United Nations, De River, also expressed regret over the US veto, saying that the Security Council should send a clear signal calling for an immediate ceasefire, the protection of civilians and the averting of a humanitarian catastrophe. He said that France will continue to work with all willing partners to contribute to the realization of Palestinian-Israeli peace.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres also expressed disappointment at the Security Council's failure to adopt the draft resolution, calling on all parties to achieve a ceasefire as soon as possible to protect civilians, especially children. He said that the United Nations will continue to work with countries in the region and other stakeholders to ease tensions, resume dialogue and achieve a comprehensive, just and lasting settlement of the Palestinian question.
It is reported that since 7 October, a new round of clashes has broken out between Palestine and Israel, resulting in tens of thousands of deaths and injuries, and the humanitarian and security situation in the Gaza Strip is grim. These draft resolutions, all aimed at promoting a ceasefire between the Palestinians and Israelis, protecting civilians and alleviating the humanitarian crisis, were not adopted because of the US veto.
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