March 22, 2024 (EIRNS)—At this morning’s session of the UN Security Council on the Mideast and Palestine, the resolution on Gaza crafted by the U.S. in recent weeks—in a way to make it not demand an immediate ceasefire, and also make it conditional on hostage release—failed to pass when China and Russia (members of the Permanent Five of the UNSC) along with Algeria, voted against it. Guyana abstained, and the other 11 votes approved it. There is now talk that the “E10”—the non-permanent members—may offer another resolution. And French President Emmanuel Macron said, from the EU Summit in Brussels, that France may commit to formulating a new text.
One fundamental matter of contention is that the U.S. text did not demand an unconditional and immediate ceasefire in Gaza, but instead used the wording that it is “imperative” for “an immediate and sustained ceasefire to protect civilians on all sides.” Previous resolution drafts were vetoed by the U.S. for demanding an unconditional ceasefire. Also, the U.S. text linked any ceasefire to Hamas release of hostages.
Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia and Chinese Ambassador Zhang Jun were outspoken against the U.S. on these points. Zhang Jun said the U.S. dodged the most central issue, that of a ceasefire, through its “ambiguous” language.
Nebenzia said that “Gaza has been practically leveled with the ground,” while the U.S. continues its “[t]his leisurely thinking process by Washington.” But now, this “U.S. draft is a green light to Israel to mount an incursion into Rafah.”
