New York: In the midst of the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict, Russia's ambassador to the United Nations has made a plea for a "humanitarian ceasefire" in both the Gaza Strip and Israel, while placing blame on the United States for the perpetuation of the crisis.
On Friday, the Russian delegation presented a draft resolution to the UN Security Council, urging an "immediate" ceasefire and the safe release of all hostages. The proposal also "strongly condemns all violence and hostilities directed against civilians and all acts of terrorism." Additionally, the draft resolution calls for unrestricted humanitarian aid access and the secure evacuation of civilians in dire need.
Unnamed diplomats disclosed that the draft was submitted during a closed-door meeting of the 15-member council, specifically convened to address the escalating conflict.
Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia asserted, "We firmly believe that the Security Council must take action to halt the bloodshed and reignite peace negotiations with the goal of establishing a Palestinian state, as it was intended to do long ago." Nebenzia reported positive reactions to the draft resolution from some member states.
Moreover, Nebenzia placed blame on the United States for being responsible for the brewing war in the Middle East. He also criticized Ursula von der Leyen, the Head of the European Commission, for seemingly disregarding Israeli airstrikes on civilian infrastructure in the Gaza Strip.
The conflict began when Israel launched a series of strikes on Gaza shortly after Hamas, the Palestinian political and armed group, initiated its most devastating surprise attack on Israel to date, resulting in the deaths of at least 1,300 people.
Israel's response has been even more lethal, with the death toll of Palestinians reaching at least 1,900 and continuing to rise.
This draft resolution comes in the wake of calls from various countries urging Israel to refrain from its attacks on northern Gaza, where more than a million civilians were instructed to evacuate, an act that the UN had deemed "impossible."
The one-page Russian draft resolution makes reference to Israel and the Palestinians but does not explicitly mention Hamas. A council diplomat, who chose to remain anonymous, was quoted as saying, "They have not consulted anyone, and it does not even mention Hamas, so they are clearly not serious or aligned with most council members."
It's worth noting that for a UN Security Council resolution to be adopted, it requires a minimum of nine votes in favor and no veto from the United States, Britain, France, China, or Russia. Historically, Washington has shielded its principal regional ally, Israel, from any action by the Security Council.
