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Last week, the U.S. vetoed a U.N. resolution calling for a "
humanitarian pause" in Gaza. U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield said she put forward what she called a more balanced text that condemns "the heinous terrorist attacks" by Hamas and reaffirms Israel's right to self-defense.
10-18 2023
https://news.un.org/en/story/2023/10/1142507While 12 of the Council’s 15 members voted in favour of the Brazilian-led text, one (United States) voted against, and two (Russia, and the United Kingdom) abstained.A ‘no’ vote from any one of the five permanent members of the Council stops
action on any measure put before it. The body’s permanent members are China, France, Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
https://news.un.org/en/story/2023/10/1142507Russian amendmentsPrior to the vote, two amendments proposed by Russia, calling for an immediate, durable and full ceasefire, and to stop attacks against civilians were rejected by the
Security Council.Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia
told Council Ambassadors “the time for diplomatic metaphors is long gone.” Anyone who did not support Russia’s draft resolution on this issue bears responsibility for what happens, he said. The current draft “has no clear call for a ceasefire” and “will not help to stop the bloodshed”.He said Russia’s amendments proposed a call to end indiscriminate attacks on civilians and infrastructure in Gaza and the condemnation of the imposition of the blockade on the enclave; and adding a new point for a call for a humanitarian ceasefire.“If these are not included in the current draft, it would not help to address the human situation in Gaza and polarize positions of the international community,” he said.