Washington [US], October 19: The United States vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution on Wednesday that would have called for humanitarian pauses in the conflict between Israel and Palestinian Hamas militants to allow humanitarian aid access to the Gaza Strip.
The vote on the Brazilian-drafted text was twice delayed in the last couple of days as the United States tries to broker aid access to Gaza. Twelve members voted in favour of the draft text on Wednesday, while Russia and Britain abstained.
Washington traditionally shields its ally Israel from any Security Council action.
U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on Wednesday called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire to allow for the release of hostages and humanitarian aid access to Gaza.
Russia said it had now asked for the 193-member U.N. General Assembly to be convened for an emergency special session on the conflict. It could decide to put a draft resolution to a vote there, where no countries hold a veto power. General Assembly resolutions are non-binding, but carry political weight.
U.N. Middle East peace envoy Tor Wennesland told the council that there is "very real, and extremely dangerous" risk of an expansion of the conflict.
China's U.N. Ambassador Zhang Jun accused the United States of leading council members to believe the resolution could be adopted after it did not express opposition during negotiations. He described the vote as "nothing short of unbelievable."
Thomas-Greenfield said the United States was disappointed the draft resolution made no mention of Israel's rights of self defense and she blamed Hamas for the Gaza humanitarian crisis.
International diplomacy has focused on trying to broker a humanitarian pause in the conflict near the Rafah border crossing between Egypt and Gaza to allow the delivery of aid. Egypt says Rafah has not been officially closed but has become inoperable due to the Israeli air strikes on the Gaza side.
U.N. aid chief Martin Griffiths told the Security Council on Wednesday: "We urgently need a mechanism agreed by all relevant parties to allow for a regular provision of emergency needs throughout Gaza."
The draft resolution also urged Israel - without naming it - to rescind its order for civilians and U.N. staff in Gaza to move to the south of the Palestinian enclave and condemns "the terrorist attacks by Hamas."
Israel last week ordered some 1.1 million people in Gaza - almost half the population - to move south as it prepares for a ground offensive in retaliation for the worst Hamas attack on civilians in Israel's 75-year-old history.
Israel has put Gaza under a total siege and subjected it to intense bombardment. It has vowed to annihilate Hamas after the Islamist militant group killed 1,400 people and seized hostages in an Oct. 7 attack on Israel. Palestinian officials say more than 3,000 Palestinians have been killed.
Source: Fijian Broadcasting Corporation