The United States vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution on Friday that would have called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, allowing the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to continue pounding Hamas terrorists as they began to surrender.
#BREAKING United States vetoes Security Council draft resolution that would have demanded an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza, and immediate and unconditional release of all hostages
— UN News (@UN_News_Centre) December 8, 2023
VOTE
In Favour: 13
Against: 1 (US)
Abstain: 1 (UK) pic.twitter.com/hY0YcJ1JKF
As the United Nations’ in-house news service reported:
The US vetoed a resolution put forward by the United Arab Emirates and backed by over 90 Member States. There were 13 votes in favour and the United Kingdom abstained.
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The resolution which failed to pass took note of the Secretary-General’s invocation of Article 99, expressed grave concern over the “catastrophic situation” in Gaza, and emphasized that both Palestinian and Israeli civilians must be protected.
It demanded an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, and the immediate and unconditional release of hostages as well as humanitarian access.
It did not condemn the terror attacks perpetrated by Hamas on 7 October.
In an explanatory statement, Alternative Representative for Special Political Affairs Robert Wood said:
We still cannot comprehend why the resolution’s authors declined to include language condemning Hamas’ horrific terrorist attack on Israel on October 7. An attack that killed over 1,200 people. Women, children, the elderly. People from a range of nationalities. Burned alive. Gunned down. Subject to obscene sexual violence.
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Equally disappointing is that the authors declined to add language reaffirming that the ICRC must be permitted to access and provide medical treatment to the hostages still held by Hamas terrorists and other extremists.
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This text also failed to acknowledge that Israel has the right to defend itself against terrorism, consistent with international law. This is a right to which all states are entitled.
Israel thanked the United States: “A little light rejected a lot of darkness,” said Israel’s UN Ambassador, Gilad Erdan, according to the Times of Israel, alluding to the Jewish holiday of Hanukkah. “A ceasefire is possible, only with the return of all the hostages and destruction of Hamas.”
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of the new biography, Rhoda: ‘Comrade Kadalie, You Are Out of Order’. He is also the author of the recent e-book, Neither Free nor Fair: The 2020 U.S. Presidential Election. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.
