Alwaght- The UN Security Council has rejected a resolution drafted by the US on Gaza, noting the need for a permanent and sustainable ceasefire that would allow humanitarian aid into the besieged Palestinian enclave.
Russia and China, permanent members of the Security Council, vetoed the resolution on Friday and Algeria cast a negative vote.
Out of the 15 Security Council member countries, 11 voted in favor of the draft US resolution, three voted against it, and one abstained.
China and Russia had opposed the US insistence on linking the ceasefire call to a prisoner exchange deal and condemnation of the Palestinian resistance movement Hamas.
They had demanded an unconditional ceasefire in Gaza.
Russia’s ambassador to the UN, Vassily Nebenzia, accused Washington of a “hypocritical spectacle” that does not pressure the Israeli regime, saying the resolution amounted to a green light for a ground invasion of Rafah.
Chinese Ambassador to the UN Zhang Jun said the US measure was ambiguous and dodged the issue of an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
“This [resolution] falls short of the expectations of the international community,” he added.
Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US ambassador to the United Nations, claimed before the vote that the US resolution would help alleviate the suffering of the people in Gaza.
The United States has already vetoed three UN Security Council resolutions calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.
