Project Sword
According to CCTV News, after the United States last blocked the draft resolution to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza, the United Nations General Assembly continued to discuss it on March 5, local time. Geng Shuang, China's deputy permanent representative to the United Nations, said at the meeting that this is the fourth time since the outbreak of the conflict in Gaza that the United States has unilaterally blocked the Security Council's request for a ceasefire, and that China is "extremely disappointed" by the US action.
Geng Shuang, Deputy Permanent Representative of China to the United Nations.
Geng Shuang pointed out that the vast majority of UN Security Council members hold a consensus on the implementation of a ceasefire in Gaza, but the United States has repeatedly abused its veto power to hinder the formation of this consensus, and this behavior of the United States has also been widely criticized by the international community.
Earlier, at the Security Council on 20 February, Algeria, on behalf of the Arab States, had introduced a draft resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and ensuring the access of humanitarian supplies, as well as opposing the forced Israeli transfer of Palestinian civilians. However, in a vote of the 15 members of the Security Council, the United States exercised its veto for the fourth time, and Britain chose to abstain. The US side said that the mere cessation of hostilities would not help end the conflict if Hamas did not ensure the release of the hostages.
According to reports, the US move has caused dissatisfaction from many parties. In addition to China, Russia, and Saudi Arabia, even close allies of the United States, France and Slovenia, have expressed their strong disappointment with the United States. Among them, the French ambassador to the United Nations stressed the urgency of the current humanitarian crisis in Gaza and called on Israel to immediately end its military operations and all parties to reach a ceasefire agreement as soon as possible to alleviate the humanitarian crisis on the ground.
On February 20, the UN Security Council voted on a ceasefire resolution between Israel and Kazakhstan.
CCTV News quoted an expert on the international situation as saying that the fourth veto vote by the United States shows that the positions of the United States and Israel on the issue of handling the conflict in Gaza are generally the same, that is, they support Israel's complete elimination of Hamas and oppose the establishment of a permanent ceasefire in Gaza.
However, as the conflict continues to escalate, the divergent interests between the United States and Israel have become increasingly apparent, especially on the issue of how to end the war. First, the United States is increasingly dissatisfied with the protracted duration of the conflict, because a protracted conflict means that the United States needs to devote more resources and energy to the Middle East, which contradicts the goals of the American "Middle East contraction" strategy.
Second, the United States expresses serious dissatisfaction with the humanitarian crisis caused by the Gaza conflict, which has exacerbated opposition in the United States and affected its image in the international community.
Third, the spillover of the Gaza conflict is also troubling to the United States, because the spread of the war has drawn the United States not only into the Gaza conflict, but also in the Red Sea region and in Iraq and Syria, which the United States does not want to see.
Gaza is in the midst of a food crisis.
According to the report, although the United States has used its veto power four times, it has also undergone subtle changes in its attitude due to a variety of reasons. Initially, the United States was adamantly opposed to any form of ceasefire. Subsequently, the US side retreated and accepted a temporary humanitarian ceasefire, but still opposed a complete ceasefire. Until recently, the United States for the first time expressed support for a temporary ceasefire after the fourth veto. This marks the first time in the past few months that the United States has opened its mind to a ceasefire, although it does not meet the requirements of the international community for a lasting and comprehensive ceasefire.
Geng Shuang also pointed out that in order to save the lives of innocent civilians, carry out humanitarian relief, and prevent further escalation and spread of the conflict, it is essential to achieve an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. He called on the international community to take urgent and resolute action, to abandon geopolitical considerations and domestic political calculations, to take the right decisions in a fair and responsible manner, and to play an active role in promoting a ceasefire in Gaza.
Geng Shuang once again pointed out that the "two-state solution" is the only feasible solution to the Palestinian-Israeli conflict. Regarding China's position, Geng Shuang also stressed that China is committed to continuing to cooperate with the international community and make unremitting efforts to quell the war in the Gaza Strip as soon as possible, alleviate the humanitarian disaster, implement the "two-state solution", and promote long-term stability and security in the Middle East.