US and Russia bids on Israel-Gaza war fail at UN Security Council
- A Washington-led draft resolution was vetoed by Russia and China, while a text led by Moscow did not draw sufficient support
- The deadlock means the Security Council has failed again to reach a consensus on the conflict
The UN Security Council on Wednesday failed again to take action on the Israel-Gaza war, with Russia and China vetoing a US-led draft resolution and a text led by Moscow drawing insufficient support.
The rival powers went ahead and put forward texts doomed to defeat despite what diplomats said was a last-ditch effort led by France to delay a vote and work toward consensus.
The United States, Israel’s historic backer which exercised its own veto last week, put forward a resolution that would support “humanitarian pauses” to let aid into the blockaded Gaza Strip and back the right of “all states” to self-defence within the confines of international law.
The US-led draft did not call for a full ceasefire. Russia put forward its own proposal that sought “an immediate, durable and fully respected humanitarian ceasefire” and “condemns all violence and hostilities against civilians”.
Ten countries backed the US resolution but Russia and China exercised their veto power. The United Arab Emirates, whose relations with Israel have warmed markedly since normalisation in 2020 but represents the Arab bloc, also voted in opposition, with the other two countries, Brazil and Mozambique, abstaining.
