Russia and China vetoed a US-led draft resolution in the UN Security Council that would have called for humanitarian pauses in fighting to allow aid access to Gaza while a rival text by Moscow on the Israel-Hamas conflict failed to garner enough votes in its favour. The 15-nation UN Security Council voted on two rival draft resolutions tabled by Washington and Moscow on the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict.
The first resolution by the US affirmed the right of member states to defend themselves against threats to peace and security posed by acts of terrorism. It called for all measures – specifically humanitarian pauses – to allow for full, rapid, safe, and unhindered access into Gaza, territory ruled by Hamas militants.
The Council’s permanent members Russia and China vetoed the US-led resolution. The UAE also voted against the draft, which received ten votes in favour (Albania, France, Ecuador, Gabon, Ghana, Japan, Malta, Switzerland, UK, US) and two abstentions by Brazil and Mozambique. Before the vote on the resolution, US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said Washington has worked to forge consensus around a resolution that is strong and balanced.
“We solicited input. We listened. We engaged with all Council members to incorporate edits, including language on humanitarian pauses and the protection of civilians fleeing conflict, and language on the importance of deconfliction mechanisms to protect UN facilities and personnel.”
After the vote, she expressed disappointment that Russia and China vetoed the resolution and called on the Council members not to encourage Moscow’s “cynical and irresponsible behaviour” by voting for its text, which she said was offered up at the very last minute with zero consultations and which contains a number of problematic sections.
The Council then voted on Moscow’s resolution that called for a humanitarian ceasefire, unhindered aid into Gaza and the immediate cancellation by Israeli forces of the evacuation order for civilians to head into southern Gaza.
The resolution failed to get adopted as it did not get sufficient votes in its favour. Only four countries – China, Gabon, Russia, and the UAE – voted in favour of the resolution while the UK and US vetoed it and nine nations – Albania, Brazil, Ecuador, France, Ghana, Japan, Malta, Mozambique, Switzerland abstained. This was the fourth time in over a week that the powerful UN Security Council, responsible for the maintenance of international peace and security, failed to adopt a resolution and take unified action in the ongoing conflict that broke out after Hamas attacked Israel on October 7.
