The US used its veto in the UN Security Council to block a resolution calling on Israel to allow humanitarian corridors into the Gaza Strip, halt fighting and lift an order for civilians to leave the north of the besieged territory.
The text – which was supported by 12 of the 15 members of the Security Council on Wednesday – contained criticism of “heinous terrorist crimes committed by Hamas” and made no direct reference to Israel. In order to gain U.S. support, the draft resolution did not specifically call for a ceasefire, but spoke of a “humanitarian pause.”
But U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield said the resolution, carefully crafted by Brazilian diplomats, was unacceptable because it did not mention Israel’s right to self-defense. The United Kingdom abstained, saying the resolution made no mention of how Hamas used ordinary Palestinians as human shields.
The US ambassador said she was horrified and saddened by the loss of life, but Hamas’ actions caused the humanitarian crisis. She also called for taking time to make Joe Biden’s diplomacy work.
Israel thanked the US for using its veto. China called the move “nothing short of unbelievable,” while Russia said it was an example of U.S. double standards.
Two G7 members on the council – Japan and France – broke away from the US with US support.
The draft resolution also called for “humanitarian pauses to allow United Nations humanitarian agencies full, rapid, safe and unhindered humanitarian access.” The failure to pass was another blow to the world body’s authority.
Meanwhile, a meeting of the 59-member Organization of Islamic Cooperation in Riyadh accused Israeli forces of targeting the al-Ahli Arab hospital in Gaza.
Tuesday’s explosion, which killed hundreds of people, was attributed by Palestinian officials to an Israeli airstrike. Israel said it was caused by a failed rocket launch by the militant group Palestinian Islamic Jihad, but it denied responsibility.
Israel has used media and diplomatic channels to convince the leaders of Arab countries that the explosion was caused by militants, after even its regional allies blamed it for the blast.
In a single sign of reassessment by Arab states, the United Arab Emirates’ UN ambassador, Lana Zaki Nusseibeh, called for an independent investigation into the hospital strike and said anyone found guilty should be held accountable. But she said regardless of the perpetrator, the death toll among Palestinians was unacceptable.
The dispute over responsibility is unlikely to find much resonance among the Arab public. A former French ambassador to the US, Gérard Araud, said: “The truth about who was responsible for the hospital strike in Gaza is now irrelevant.” Public opinion has decided: Israel is the culprit. All explanations are useless. This is a major defeat for Israel. It will have political consequences.”
The foreign ministries of Arab states have issued individual statements condemning Israel for the explosion, including Bahrain, which established relations with Israel in the 2020 Abraham Accords.
Morocco, another country that recognized Israel in 2020, also blamed it for the attack, as did Egypt, which became the first Arab country to normalize relations in 1979.
Saudi Arabia, which has ended talks on possible ties with Israel since the start of the Israel-Hamas war, called the explosion a “heinous crime by Israeli occupation forces.”
The rapid finger-pointing coincided with angry rallies across the region, with more planned for Wednesday, after calls for a “day of rage.”
A mini-summit between Joe Biden and Arab states and Palestinian Authority leader Mahmoud Abbas was scheduled to take place in Amman on Wednesday but was canceled. Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi said the summit would only take place “when the decision is made to end and end the war.” [the] Massacre” was recorded.
The authority of most Gulf monarchies is secure, but they know what they risk if they are found to be siding with Israel’s version of current events. The popularity of Abbas, seen by some Palestinians as Israel’s security contractor, was already at a low point.
Years of patient work to build a new relationship between Israel and some Arab states appears to be coming to naught, a trend that will please hardliners in Iran, Lebanon and Palestine. Some extremists in the Israeli government are also not interested in relations with Arab states if this involves compromise on the Palestinian issue.
Egyptian President Abdel Fatah al-Sisi warned that he could trigger protests in Egypt if Israel does not back down.
He again said Israel was trying to push Palestinians across the Gaza Strip’s southern border into the Sinai Peninsula, saying of Israel: “The Negev Desert [about 4,500 sq miles of land in southern Israel] This is what lies ahead if you want to expel Palestinian citizens, but not to Sinai, and then Sinai will not become a base for attacks on you and for you, who can use it as a pretext for attacks on Egypt.”
He called on Israel to allow aid into the Gaza Strip through the Rafah border crossing into Egypt, but only with US-backed Israeli assurances that Israel would not attack the convoys. Israel fears the convoys will contain ammunition for Hamas, a key issue in talks between Israel and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken.