Several members of the United Nations (UN) Security Council, which Brazil currently chairs, condemned Hamas this Sunday for its actions largescale attack on Israel. However, the United States regretted the lack of unanimity. In an emergency meeting, Americans and Israelis called on the council to strongly condemn the Islamist group that rules the Gaza Strip and launched a surprise attack on Saturday that killed more than a thousand people.
Diplomats reported that the Security Council had not considered issuing a joint statement, let alone a binding resolution, while Russianled members were hoping for a more comprehensive approach that would condemn Hamas. “My call was to immediately cease hostilities and reach a ceasefire and meaningful negotiations, as has been said over the decades,” said Russian U.N. Ambassador to the Council Vasily Nebenzia.
China, Russia’s usual ally in the group, said it would support a joint statement. “It is not normal for the Security Council to remain silent,” noted Ambassador Zhang Jun, who previously pledged China’s support in condemning “all attacks against civilians.”
At the start of the meeting, Israeli Ambassador Gilad Erdan showed graphic photos of Israeli civilians taken hostage by Hamas. “These are war crimes, obvious and documented war crimes,” he said.
The Palestinian ambassador, representing the West Bankbased Palestinian Authority, called on the council to focus on ending the Israeli occupation. “Unfortunately for some media and politicians, the story begins when Israelis are killed,” envoy Riyad Mansour said. “This is not the time to allow Israel to double down on its terrible decisions. It is time to tell Israel that it must change course, that there is a path to peace in which neither Palestinians nor Israelis are murdered,” he added.