Russia and China on Friday vetoed a US-sponsored UN resolution calling for 바카라an immediate and sustained cease-fire바카라 in the Israel-Hamas war in Gaza to protect civilians and enable humanitarian aid to be delivered to more than 2 million hungry Palestinians.
The vote in the 15-member Security Council was 11 members in favour, three against and one abstention.
Before the vote, Russia's UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said Moscow supports an immediate cease-fire, but he questioned the language in the resolution and accused US Secretary of State Antony Blinken and US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield of 바카라misleading the international community바카라 for 바카라politicized" reasons.
Earlier, US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said she was optimistic that the new, tougher draft resolution would be approved Friday by the 15-member council.
The draft being put to a vote 바카라determines바카라 바카라 which is a council order 바카라 바카라the imperative of an immediate and sustained cease-fire,바카라 with no direct link to the release of hostages taken during Hamas' October 7 attack on Israel, which was in the previous draft. But it would unequivocally support diplomatic efforts 바카라to secure such a cease-fire in connection with the release of all remaining hostages.바카라
Russia's deputy UN ambassador Dmitry Polyansky said Moscow will not be satisfied 바카라with anything that doesn't call for an immediate cease-fire,바카라 saying it's what US Secretary of State Antony Blinken is pressing for and what "everybody바카라 wants. He questioned the wording of the draft, asking, 바카라What's an imperative? I have an imperative to give you USD 100, but 바카라 it's only an imperative, not USD 100.바카라
바카라So, somebody's fooling around, I think, (with the) international community,바카라 the Russian envoy said.
The Security Council had already adopted two resolutions on the worsening humanitarian situation in Gaza, but none calling for a cease-fire.
Russia and China vetoed a US-sponsored resolution in late October calling for pauses in the fighting to deliver aid, protection of civilians, and a halt to arming Hamas. They said it didn't reflect global calls for a cease-fire.
The US, Israel's closest ally, has vetoed three resolutions demanding a cease-fire, the most recent an Arab-backed measure supported by 13 council members with one abstention on February 20.
A day earlier, the US circulated a rival resolution, which has gone through major changes during negotiations before Friday's vote. It initially would have supported a temporary cease-fire linked to the release of all hostages, and the previous draft would have supported international efforts for a cease-fire as part of a hostage deal.
The vote took place as Blinken, America's top diplomat, is on his sixth urgent mission to the Middle East since the Israel-Hamas war, discussing a deal for a cease-fire and hostage release, as well as post-war scenarios.
Nate Evans, the spokesperson for the US Mission to the United Nations who announced the Friday morning vote, said: 바카라This resolution is an opportunity for the Council to speak with one voice to support the diplomacy happening on the ground and pressure Hamas to accept the deal on the table.바카라
Meanwhile, the 10 elected members of the Security Council have been drafting their own resolution, which would demand an immediate humanitarian cease-fire for the Muslim holy month of Ramadan that began March 10 to be 바카라respected by all parties leading to a permanent sustainable cease-fire.바카라
It also demands 바카라the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages 바카라 and emphasizes the urgent need to protect civilians and deliver humanitarian aid throughout the Gaza Strip.
Palestinian militants killed some 1,200 people in the surprise October 7 attack into southern Israel that triggered the war, and abducted another 250 people. Hamas is still believed to be holding some 100 people hostage, as well as the remains of 30 others.
In Gaza, the Health Ministry raised the death toll in the territory Thursday to nearly 32,000 Palestinians. It doesn't differentiate between civilians and combatants in its count but says women and children make up two-thirds of the dead.
The international community's authority on determining the severity of hunger crises warned this week that 바카라famine is imminent바카라 in northern Gaza, where 70 per cent of people are experiencing catastrophic hunger. The report from the Integrated Food Security Phase Classification initiative, or IPC, warned that escalation of the war could push half of Gaza's total population to the brink of starvation.
The US draft would express 바카라deep concern about the threat of conflict-induced famine and epidemics presently facing the civilian population in Gaza as well as the number of undernourished people, and also that hunger in Gaza has reached catastrophic levels.바카라
It would emphasize 바카라the urgent need to expand the flow of humanitarian assistance to civilians in the entire Gaza Strip바카라 and lift all barriers to getting aid to civilians 바카라at scale.바카라
The draft was being put in 바카라blue바카라 Thursday night, which is the final form required for a vote.
After closed council consultations on Gaza late Thursday, France's U.N. Ambassador Nicolas de Rivière told reporters: 바카라There is a desire to take action, no one want to procrastinate, so we hope that a decision can be made by tomorrow (Friday) evening.바카라
바카라There are two options: Either the US text is adopted and then we'll move to the next phase of this crisis management,바카라 he said, 바카라or the text is not adopted and then the draft of the elected members will come to the table and put to the vote, and I hope it will be adopted.바카라
Israel faces mounting pressure from even its closest allies to streamline the entry of aid into the Gaza Strip and to open more land crossings, and come to a cease-fire agreement. But Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has vowed to move the military offensive to the southern city of Rafah, where some 1.3 million displaced Palestinians have sought safety. Netanyahu says it's a Hamas stronghold.
The final US draft eliminated language in the initial draft that said Israel's offensive in Rafah 바카라should not proceed under current circumstances.바카라 Instead, in an introductory paragraph, the council would emphasize its concern that a ground offensive into Rafah 바카라would result in further harm to civilians and their further displacement, potentially into neighboring countries, and would have serious implications for regional peace and security.바카라
For the first time in a UN resolution, the US draft would condemn 바카라all acts of terrorism, including the Hamas-led attacks of October 7, 2023, as well as its taking and killing of hostages, murder of civilians, and sexual violence, including rape.바카라
