The United States again used its veto power on Wednesday to block, for the fourth time, the approval of a resolution on an immediate ceasefire in Gaza at the United Nations Security Council. On this occasion, the request was presented by the ten elected members of the Council, leaving aside the five permanent members, namely the United States, the Russian Federation, France, China and the United Kingdom. And they all voted for it, 14 countries, with the exception of the United States.
“We have made it clear that we cannot support an unconditional ceasefire that does not lead to the release of the hostages. The United States could not have supported it, in other words, it would have sent a message [negativo] to Hamas,” declared the American representative, Robert Wood, to justify his position.
Even so, the text expressly calls for an “immediate, unconditional and permanent” ceasefire and, as Guyana’s ambassador, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, explains, the text was carefully crafted to meet everyone’s wishes. countries.
The text also rejects “any attempt to starve Palestinians” and demands immediate access to basic services and humanitarian aid for Gazan civilians, including those remaining in the besieged area of northern Gaza. Likewise, it includes a proclamation of UNRWA (United Nations Agency for Palestinian Refugees) as the pillar of the humanitarian effort in Gaza, at a time when the “de facto” ban on its activities by Israel approaches.
The last resolution that managed to be approved in the Security Council was the one presented by the United States last June, which obtained 14 votes in favor and Russia abstained. The text supports the truce proposal presented by US President Joe Biden on May 31, with a three-phase plan for the Gaza Strip. Five months later, negotiations have made no progress, some 44,000 Palestinians have already died and Israel has invaded Lebanon. The Middle East remains on the verge of an escalation of conflict, with recent exchanges of attacks between Tehran and Tel Aviv.
In the home stretch of the American electoral campaign, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu intensified his attacks in the region in the face of calls from Washington not to further aggravate tensions, but who also supported the “controlled” advance of Israeli troops in Lebanon. With Donald Trump’s victory in the US presidential elections, Netanyahu hopes the new administration will give him carte blanche to continue the massacre in Gaza and his government’s plans to restore settlements in the strip and annex the currently occupied Palestinian territories. West Bank.
