Member States of the UN General Assembly meet on the situation in the Occupied Palestinian Territory.
The UN General Assembly held a plenary meeting today to consider the use of the veto by China and Russia on 22 March on the draft resolution on Gaza proposed by the United States at the Security Council.
At the meeting, UN General Assembly President Francis called on all influential countries to play their part to end the six-month-old conflict in Gaza.
After the Security Council failed to adopt the resolution proposed by the United States last month, the President of the 78th session of the United Nations General Assembly, Dennis Francis, convened the most representative body of the General Assembly, which includes all 193 member states, to discuss the matter.
A 2022 UN General Assembly resolution stipulates that whenever a Security Council resolution is prevented from being adopted due to the veto exercised by any of the five permanent members, it should be convened within 10 working days.
Death, destruction, and division
"As the Gaza conflict enters its sixth bloody month, at a time when death and destruction are raging, and at a time when divisions persist among Member States, especially within the Council, we are once again meeting on this initiative," Francis said. ”
At a Security Council meeting on March 22, China and Russia vetoed a draft resolution proposed by the United States, which called an "immediate and sustained ceasefire to protect civilians on all sides" a "top priority."
Russia, China, the United States, France and the United Kingdom, which are permanent members of the 15 members of the Council, have the right to veto any draft resolution.
Three days later, the Security Council adopted a different resolution calling for a ceasefire for the remainder of Ramadan and the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages. The resolution, numbered 2728, was drafted by 10 non-permanent members. The United States abstained in the voting on the draft resolution, while the other 14 Council members voted in favour.
End the bloodshed
The conflict in Gaza has killed more than 32,500 Palestinians, displaced 1.7 million and left more than 1.1 million people facing catastrophic food insecurity, Francis said.
While welcoming Resolution 2728, Francis regretted that "this resolution was adopted after five months of painful division, bloodshed, and great losses. ”
He implored the members of the Council to use their influence to actively support an immediate and lasting ceasefire.
"I urge all influential parties to do their utmost now to end the bloodshed in Gaza," he said. Let us see the end of the wait, including the peaceful resolution of the Israeli-Palestinian conflict on the basis of a two-State solution". He stressed that the two-State solution was the only credible and lasting solution.
Russia: Veto is "the only right way"
Russia's Deputy Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Dimitri Polyansky, said that the US draft resolution "not only does not help to end hostilities in Gaza, but essentially gives Israel the freedom to continue its inhumane actions in violation of international humanitarian law."
He said that the permanent members have a "historic responsibility" in the maintenance of international peace and security, and it is for this reason that the veto mechanism exists to prevent the adoption of nefarious and dangerous initiatives in the Council.
He said Russia's veto decision "is the only right way" because it makes it possible to pass another resolution, and the "core of the resolution adopted in the Security Council is a direct call for an immediate ceasefire during Ramadan, which would lead to a lasting ceasefire." ”
China: The United States has seriously undermined the authority and credibility of the Security Council
Ambassador Dai Bing, Chargé d'affaires a.i. of the Chinese Mission to the United Nations, said in his speech at the meeting on the use of the veto power of the UN General Assembly that the draft resolution proposed by the US side is vague and plays with words on the core issue of the ceasefire, and in essence attempts to hold the Security Council hostage by setting preconditions for a ceasefire and holding the Security Council hostage to endorse its erroneous policy proposition. The United States draft resolution runs counter to the consensus of the members of the Council and runs counter to the expectations of the international community. If passed, it means that the killing in Gaza will continue, and it means that the heinous acts that violate international law and international humanitarian law will continue.
"It is unbelievable that just after the adoption of Resolution 2728, the representative of the United States declared on the spot that the resolution was not binding," Dai said. The words and deeds of the US side are inconsistent with its status as a permanent member of the Security Council, desecrate its responsibilities as a member of the Security Council, and seriously undermine the authority and credibility of the Security Council. ”
Palestine: full implementation of the resolution
The Permanent Observer of the State of Palestine al-Mansour noted that 20 days after the start of the conflict, the General Assembly called for a cessation of hostilities.
A month later, the General Assembly called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, stressing the need to protect civilians and prevent the terrible humanitarian catastrophe that had already occurred. At the same time, the Council has spent almost six months doing the same.
"Now these resolutions need to be fully respected and implemented so that the genocide in Gaza can stop," he said. In this way, the families on both sides can be reunited while they are alive, instead of meeting under the Nine Springs."
Israel: No condemnation of Hamas
Israel's Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Erdan, said that the extermination of Jews has been the goal of the Palestinians long before the establishment of the United Nations or Israel.
He added that while the United Nations was established after the Second World War to prevent atrocities such as the Holocaust, "the genocidal ideology that this body was created to combat is still prevalent among Palestinians."
Erdan said the October 7 attack by Hamas was the most heinous and widespread massacre of Jews since the Holocaust. Entire families have been wiped out, peaceful communities have been reduced to ashes, Israeli women have been raped, and more than 250 hostages have been taken and taken to Gaza.
He said, however, that the General Assembly was not meeting to condemn Hamas or their atrocities, but because some members of the Security Council "refused to even accept the condemnation of the rapists who murdered children, and they vetoed the draft resolution".
"It's been six months since the massacre, and there isn't even a UN agency...... Condemn Hamas, not even a single meeting is devoted to our hostages. It's crazy."
USA: Rejecting "Despicable Politics"
Wood, deputy permanent representative of the United States to the United Nations, said that the United States draft resolution was submitted in good faith and that the overwhelming majority of the members of the Security Council voted in favor.
"Russia and China have given many exaggerated explanations for their obstruction, and instead of supporting the release of the hostages through diplomatic means and ensuring a ceasefire, they are attacking the United States," he said. ”
Wood said Russia and China are not engaging in meaningful diplomacy and are only providing preaching, but "worse, they continue to shelter Hamas." In addition, the claim that the United States does not want a ceasefire is untrue.
"There is no doubt that the United States supports a ceasefire," he said. We know that the way to achieve this is through a negotiated agreement for the release of the hostages. He added that negotiations are underway under the mediation of Egypt and Qatar.
He said that the United States draft resolution also called for other key items, including the strengthening of the mandate of the United Nations Senior Humanitarian Coordinator in Gaza, Sigrid Kag, the opening of additional crossings for assistance and immediate measures to repair the deconflicting process, which was one of the worst in terms of the number of aid worker deaths.
"The United States rejects the decision of Russia and China to play despicable politics," he said. We will continue our efforts to advance peace in the region. ”
He said that these efforts included remaining at the negotiating table for the release of hostages and a ceasefire, providing large-scale support for humanitarian operations, and continuing to urge Israel to take concrete measures to address civilian injuries, humanitarian suffering and the safety of aid workers.
