The US vetoed a United Nations resolution Wednesday to condemn all violence against civilians in the Israel-Hamas war and to urge humanitarian aid to Palestinians in Gaza, saying it was too early to craft an appropriate Security Council response to the crisis. US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said the council needs to allow current diplomatic efforts, including those by President Biden, to unfold and to find out more facts on the ground first. She also criticized the measure for failing to underline Israel's right to self-defense, the AP reports. The vote in the 15-member Security Council was 12 votes in favor and the US against, with Russia and Britain abstaining.
The resolution sponsored by Brazil had wide support and would have condemned all violence against civilians, including "the heinous terrorists attacks by Hamas" against Israel. Thomas-Greenfield said that Biden was in the region engaging in diplomacy hoping to protect civilians, secure the release of hostages, and prevent the conflict from spreading. "We need to let that diplomacy play out," she said. The ambassador said the Security Council must speak out but should be "informed by facts on the ground and support direct diplomacy efforts that can save lives—the council needs to get this right." Linda Woodward, Britain's UN ambassador, also criticized the resolution's failure to mention Israel's right to self-defense.
Russia's UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia accused the US of hypocrisy, saying the Americans didn't want a Security Council solution. The Security Council has been even more polarized since Russia invaded Ukraine last year, and the votes on the Brazil resolution reflected that. Immediately after Tuesday's votes and speeches, the council started an emergency meeting—called for by Russia, the United Arab Emirates, and China—to discuss the explosion and fire at a Gaza City hospital in which the hospital said hundreds of people died. Hamas said it was from an Israeli airstrike, while Israel blamed a misfired rocket by the Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad. Islamic Jihad denied involvement.
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