Israel, UN chasm widens
The US vetoed a resolution that would have called for an immediate ceasefire in the intense fighting between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
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The US vetoed a resolution that would have called for an immediate ceasefire in the intense fighting between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
Israel has launched projectiles against the United Nations anew as it accused the multilateral body of providing the Hamas terror group with a "political umbrella."
The Embassy of Israel in the Philippines said in a statement that United Nations bodies — led by the Secretary-General, "with emphasis on the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees, United Nations Children's Fund, UN Women, and Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs" — are displaying disgraceful feebleness and transgression against their mandate with their reactions to the events of 7 October and the war that broke out in their wake.
Israel, through the embassy, described the UN as having a moral failing and has once again "revealed itself as a biased political body that relies on and approves information provided by a murderous terrorist organization."
Israel said in the statement that the events of 7 October included extensive acts of sexual assault, including horrific acts of rape and abuse, which had been widely reported.
Israel expressed doubt that women's and human rights organizations that were expected to strongly condemn these acts and to undertake to assist the Israeli victims did not.
On the contrary, the result was a massive increase in instances of hatred and antisemitism worldwide, with a particularly murky tendency coming to light at leading universities in the United States.
Currently, 138 Israeli hostages are still being held in the Gaza Strip, comprised of 118 men and 20 women, in addition to four others held by Hamas before 7 October.
So far, 110 hostages have been released, of which 86 were Israelis and 24 foreigners. Three murdered abductees have been located by IDF forces.
The United States, a permanent UN Security Council member, vetoed the latest United Nations attempt at an unconditional ceasefire.
The US vetoed the resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in the intense fighting between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
Guterres and Arab nations
UN chief Antonio Guterres and Arab nations had led the clamor for an immediate ceasefire.
US envoy Robert Wood said the resolution was "divorced from reality" and "would have not moved the needle forward on the ground."
He attacked the resolution's sponsors, criticizing them for rushing it and leaving the call for an unconditional ceasefire unchanged.
"This resolution still contains a call for an unconditional ceasefire. It would leave Hamas in place to repeat what it did on 7 October," Wood said.
Guterres had convened an emergency meeting of the UN Security Council after weeks of fighting.
"The United Arab Emirates is deeply disappointed," said the representative of the UAE, which sponsored the resolution.
"Regrettably, this council is unable to demand a humanitarian ceasefire," he said.
"If you support it (this war), you are supporting crimes against humanity," said the Palestinian representative to the UN, Riyad Mansour. "This is a terrible day for the Security Council."
As expected, Israel praised Washington's veto, with the country's UN envoy Gilad Erdan thanking "the United States and President Biden for standing firmly by our side."
UN chief's take
Ahead of the vote, Guterres had said that "the brutality perpetrated by Hamas can never justify the collective punishment of the Palestinian people."
Vowing to destroy the Islamist movement, Israel has relentlessly bombarded Gaza and sent in tanks and ground troops following the unprecedented attack by Hamas on Israel on 7 October.
Earlier last week, Israel called on the UN to investigate one aspect of the attack — alleged sexual violence committed by Hamas fighters on Israeli women.
With AFP
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