SANA'A December 19. 2023 (Saba)-In the sixth attempt by the 15-member group to reach a consensus on stopping the aggressive war on Gaza, the United Nations Security Council failed, last night, to adopt the draft resolution, which received the support of 13 members of the Council and one member abstained from Britain voting, while America used its veto power.
In a heated session, the draft resolution, presented by the UAE, called for an “immediate ceasefire for humanitarian reasons,” as well as the “immediate and unconditional release of all hostages” and “ensuring the access of humanitarian aid,” and at least 97 other countries joined to this effort, I participated in sponsoring this draft resolution.
However, America, in a move that exposed its falsehood regarding human rights, used its veto during a vote in the UN Security Council against a draft resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, thus giving the Zionist enemy a green light to commit more massacres, amid growing concern about Number of civilian martyrs there.
Friday's vote comes after a rare resort by UN Secretary-General António Guterres to Article 99 of the UN Charter, which allowed him to call a meeting of the Security Council on "an issue that may exacerbate existing threats to the maintenance of international peace and security." This procedure was not used since 1989.
In a strongly worded speech, United Nations Secretary-General António Guterres warned of the “mass exodus” from Gaza to Egypt, stressing the need for the international community to do everything possible to end the plight of Gaza people.
Guterres called on the Security Council to spare no effort to push for “an immediate ceasefire for humanitarian reasons, the protection of civilians, and the urgent delivery of life-saving relief.” He said: He sent his letter to the Security Council using Article 99 of the Charter, “because we have reached a breaking point.” “There is a high risk of the complete collapse of the humanitarian support system in Gaza, with devastating consequences.”
During the recent period, the UN Security Council succeeded in only one previous vote, which last month called for the establishment of “truces and humanitarian corridors” in Gaza.
The American veto against the draft Security Council resolution demanding a ceasefire in Gaza Strip was widely condemned and criticized by Arab and international parties.
On the Palestinian level, the Palestinian Ambassador to the United Nations, Riyad Mansour, condemned the obstruction of the draft international resolution, saying: “It is a disaster that the Security Council is prevented from carrying out its responsibilities again,” noting that millions of Palestinian lives are at stake.
In turn, the Palestinian resistance factions condemned America's use of the veto, considering it an "immoral and inhumane" position.
Hamas movement said, through a member of its political bureau, Izzat al-Rishq: “America’s obstruction of the issuance of a ceasefire resolution is Israel’s direct participation in killing our people and committing more massacres and ethnic cleansing.”
Hamas movement held the international community, especially the United States of America, responsible for the continuation of the Zionist war on Gaza Strip.
Palestinian Authority Prime Minister Muhammad Shtayyeh also condemned the US veto, and said in a statement: “The Security Council’s failure to stop the aggression is a disgrace and a new license for continued killing, destruction, displacement, and the use of the veto exposes the hypocrisy of claiming concern for the civilians' lives.”
As for the Arabs, in the name of the Arab Group at the United Nations, of which it holds the rotating presidency, Egypt’s representative to the United Nations, Osama Abdel Khaleq, called on the Security Council to implement an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, in accordance with the draft resolution presented today, “to spare bloodshed.”
He said: “Obstructing the draft Security Council resolution on a ceasefire in Gaza Strip is a dangerous precedent that will inevitably affect the credibility of the United Nations.” He added: The Arab and Islamic worlds, and many around the world, look at the role of the United Nations and the Security Council in particular in “this unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe with a lot of anger, accusation, and criticism."
Syria denounced America's use of the veto against resolution draft in the UN Security Council to stop the Zionist aggression against Gaza Strip, which has continued for the 64th day, stressing that the veto proves that Washington is not only a partner in the massacre committed by the Zionist enemy, but that it is waging war in Gaza Strip until his side.
As for Omani Foreign Minister, Badr Al-Busaidi, he considered that America’s use of the “veto” right in the Security Council against the UAE draft resolution represents an insult to humanitarian norms.
Qatar's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Ambassador Alia Ahmed bin Saif Al Thani, spoke before the session on behalf of the Gulf Cooperation Council countries, saying: The Gulf Cooperation Council countries call on the international community to take the necessary measures within international law to respond to the "illegal practices of the Zionist government and the policy of collective punishment." which it pursues against the residents of Gaza.
Internationally, the Iranian Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned, in a statement, America’s use of its veto power against the Security Council resolution with the aim of reaching an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza, stressing that the American government has proven once again that it is the main actor and factor in killing civilians. and Palestinian citizens, especially women , children, and the destruction of vital infrastructure in Gaza.
Russian Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN Security Council, Dmitry Polyansky, announced that America, by using its veto power against the draft resolution in the Security Council calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, had sentenced thousands of civilians to death in “Israel” and Palestine.
For his part, the Chinese Permanent Representative to the UN Security Council, Zhang Jun, accused the United States of hypocrisy and double standards after using its veto power against a draft resolution in the UN Security Council calling for a ceasefire in Gaza Strip.
At the level of international organizations, Human Rights Watch denounced the American veto, and Louis Charbonneau, Director of the United Nations Office at Human Rights Watch, said in a statement following the use of the veto: “By continuing to provide “Israel” with weapons and diplomatic cover while committing "Atrocities, including collective punishment of the Palestinian civilian population in Gaza, the United States risks complicity in war crimes."
He added: "Once again, the United States used its veto to prevent the Security Council from making some of the calls that the United States itself was demanding from Israel and Palestinian armed groups, including compliance with international humanitarian law, protecting civilians, and releasing all civilians held hostage."
Oxfam America's President and CEO, Abby Maxman, also criticized the decision, saying in a statement: The veto "puts another nail in the coffin of the United States' credibility on human rights issues."
He added: "Today, Biden administration had another opportunity to live up to its noble rhetoric in support of human rights and the rules-based international order.
The world is ready to end the horrific massacre in Gaza and focus on releasing the hostages and helping the Palestinians."
In turn, Amnesty International Secretary General Agnès Callamard said in a statement: “By vetoing the resolution, “the United States showed a callous disregard for the suffering of civilians in the face of a staggering death toll, widespread destruction, and an unprecedented humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza."
Callamard criticized the United States for sending weapons to the Zionist enemy entity, and said: It "contributes to the destruction of the sector."
“The United States has brazenly used its veto power and used it as a weapon to undermine the UN Security Council, undermining its credibility and ability to fulfill its mandate to maintain international peace and security,” Callamard added in her statement.
Doctors Without Borders also condemned the American veto, and said in a statement: “By using its veto power against this resolution, the United States stands alone in casting its vote against humanity.” It added: “We were shocked by the failure of the UN Security Council to adopt a resolution calling for an end to Shooting in Gaza.
It described America's use of the veto as a "vote against humanity" and makes America "complicit in the massacre" taking place in the Strip.
It is worth noting that America is one of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council that has veto power, and it has repeatedly resisted calls to implement a ceasefire.
It stressed “the right of the Zionist entity to defend itself” in wake of “Al-Aqsa Flood” battle. On the seventh of last October, it supports the usurping entity with lethal weapons to kill Palestinian civilians.
J.A
resource : SABA
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