On Friday, Russia and China vetoed a UN Security Council (UNSC) resolution aimed at calling for an immediate cease-fire in the Gaza strip. This resolution, written by the United States, is currently unavailable for review by the public, however some key details were shared with UN News.
A summary provided by UN News states that the resolution emphasized the need for an “immediate and sustained ceasefire” as a measure of necessity, sought continued aid for Gaza, and urged Israel and the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) to uphold international law. The resolution also addressed the Hamas attacks on October 7, condemned the forced displacement of Palestinians, and denounced any attempts by Israel to annex parts of Gaza. A call for the liberation of all remaining hostages and a demand for a two-state solution were also included in the proposal, in addition to a denouncement of ongoing Houthi rebel attacks in the Red Sea.
China’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Zhang Jun, defended China’s veto decision in a statement released through Russian state news outlet TASS. In his statement, Zhang critiqued the resolution drafted by the U.S as unbalanced and inadequate, merely providing preliminary conditions for a ceasefire rather than clearly calling for one.
Meanwhile, Russia has yet to release an official statement explaining its decision to veto. However, Dmitry Polyansky, Russian First Deputy Permanent Representative to the UN, previously informed TASS that Russia would only support a UNSC ceasefire resolution if it explicitly demanded a ceasefire. Russian Permanent Representative Vasily Nebenzya also urged other UNSC members to vote against the proposal, arguing for a more assertive resolution and criticizing previous US vetoes of ceasefire proposals.
Preceding the veto, US Ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, warned that failing to pass the resolution would be a historic blunder. Post-veto, she condemned the decisions made by China and Russia to veto the resolution in a statement made through her diplomatic mission’s website.
Before the vote, Israeli Ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, dismissed calls for a ceasefire on Twitter. Following the failed vote, Erdan expressed his disappointment and argued that Hamas solely bears the guilt for the ongoing civilian casualties in Gaza.
This marks the third time a ceasefire resolution has been vetoed by a permanent UNSC member. Previously, the U.S vetoed Brazil’s temporary ceasefire proposal in October 2023, and a humanitarian ceasefire resolution invoked under Article 99 by UN Secretary-General António Guterres in December 2023. However, a humanitarian ceasefire was voted for by the wider UN General Assembly in December 2023..
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