The United States vetoed a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) draft resolution calling for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza.
ABD, Birleşmiş Milletler Güvenlik Konseyi’nde (BMGK), Birleşip Arap Emirlikleri ve aralarında Türkiye’nin de bulunduğu 80’den fazla ülkenin eş sunucusu olduğu karar tasarısı, düzenlenen acil oturumda oylandı.
15 üyeli Güvenlik Konseyi’nin 13 üyesi ateşkes taslağının lehine oy kullanırken sadece ABD ateşkesi reddetti.
İngiltere “çekimser” oy kullandı.
Ancak BM Güvenlik Konseyi’nin kalıcı üyesi olması nedeniyle, ABD’nin verdiği hayır oyu taslağın reddedilmesine sebep oldu.
The draft resolution, co-sponsored by the United States, the United Arab Emirates and more than 80 countries, including Turkey, was voted on in an emergency session of the United Nations Security Council (UNSC).
While 13 members of the 15-member Security Council voted in favor of the draft ceasefire, only the US rejected it.
The UK voted “abstain”.
However, since the United States is a permanent member of the UN Security Council, its no vote led to the rejection of the draft resolution.
The draft resolution, referring to the letter sent to the Council by United Nations (UN) Secretary-General Antonio Guterres invoking Article 99 of the UN Charter, pointed to the dire humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and the suffering of the Palestinian people and called for the protection of all civilian populations.
The draft resolution called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and urged all parties to fulfill their obligations under international law, particularly with regard to the protection of civilians.
The draft resolution demanded the immediate and unconditional release of all prisoners and access to humanitarian aid.
Robert Wood, the US Permanent Representative to the UN, said that Hamas was not condemned in the resolution and that the silence of some Council members on the issue was unacceptable.
Guterres had invoked Article 99
For the first time during his tenure, Secretary-General Guterres invoked Article 99 of the UN Charter to prevent a humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza and sent a letter to the UNSC on December 6.
“I call on members of the Security Council to exert pressure to avert a humanitarian catastrophe and repeat my request for a humanitarian ceasefire to be declared. This is urgent,” Guterres wrote.
The UNSC held several sessions after October 7 and adopted Resolution 2712 on November 15, calling for an “immediate and prolonged cessation of hostilities” in Gaza, following the veto of several draft resolutions.
Israel’s invasion of Gaza after October 7
The Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades, the armed wing of Hamas, launched a comprehensive attack on Israel on October 7 on the grounds of “responding to the continuous violations against Palestinians and holy sites, especially the Al-Aqsa Mosque”.
It was announced that 1200 Israelis, including more than 310 soldiers, were killed and 5,132 people were injured in the attacks on October 7.
At least 17,487 Palestinians, including 7,112 children and 4,885 women, were killed in Israel’s attacks on the Gaza Strip. It is reported that there are thousands of dead under the rubble.
While the Israeli army destroyed the civilian infrastructure by targeting hospitals and educational institutions where people took shelter, 93 soldiers were killed during the ground invasion.
During the “humanitarian pause” in the fighting, which was granted for 4 days on November 24 and then extended for 3 more days, 81 Israelis and 240 Palestinian prisoners were mutually released. However, Israel continued to detain and imprison thousands of Palestinians.
In the occupied West Bank and Jerusalem, 272 Palestinians were killed in attacks by Israeli forces and illegal Jewish settlers.
Low-intensity clashes between the Israeli army and Lebanese Hezbollah along the border killed 23 Lebanese civilians, 93 Hezbollah members and 6 Israeli soldiers.
