TEL AVIV: Divisions among UN Security Council (UNSC) members over a US proposal to condemn Hamas for its killing and kidnapping of Israeli civilians failed to achieve unanimity after several countries led by Russia urged that any joint statement should take the broader picture for the frequent recurrence of conflicts between Israel and the Palestinians.
The UNSC held an emergency meeting behind closed doors on Sunday night but members including Brazil, Gabon, Ghana and the UAE did not want to condemn only the Hamas. China, another influential member on the UNSC like Russia, also opposed the US proposal and wanted the UNSC to condemn “all civilian casualties”.
“There are a good number of countries that condemned the Hamas attacks. They’re obviously not all. You could probably figure out one of them without me saying anything,’’ said western news agencies quoting US diplomat Robert Wood.
China and the UAE said the solution lied in a two-state solution. Neither the Palestinians nor the Israelis were invited to the meeting. But speaking outside, Palestinian Ambassador Riyad Mansour called on diplomats to focus on ending the Israeli occupation.
Gilad Erdan, Israel’s Permanent Representative to the UN, indicating that there would be no move towards a ceasefire, said, “The UN has a very short memory when it comes to Israel. The terror that we endure quickly becomes a side note. But this time will not be the same.”
Meanwhile, according to a media report, more than 10 Britons have been feared dead or missing in Israel. Britain’s Foreign Office declined to comment. The US State Department spokesperson Matthew Miller said nine Americans had been killed in Israel and a few missing.
Britain’s PM Rishi Sunak has reassured his Israeli counterpart of the safety of the Jewish community in the UK, as the police in London recorded some offences as a fallout of the conflict. Sunak later tweeted that terrorism wouldn’t prevail.
Yair Lapid, Israel’s leader of the opposition, has thanked India for supporting the Jewish nation. The European Union Austria and Germany said they were suspending aid worth tens of millions of euro to Palestinians in response to Islamist group Hamas’ deadly attack on Israel to ensure funds were not flowing into the wrong hands.
A few Nepalese students, who are stranded in a bunker in Israel, have sent a video message asking the Nepalese government to take immediate steps to evacuate them.