The UN Security Council on Friday failed again to pass a resolution calling for a ceasefire in the war between Israel and Hamas, this time after Russia and China vetoed it.
The resolution, introduced by the United States after it had vetoed previous resolutions but had a change of heart following the more than 31,000 deaths in Gaza, was called half-hearted by Russia's UN ambassador Vasily Nebenzia. He said the measure did not call for a ceasefire clearly enough.
The US ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, campaigned strongly in favour of the resolution immediately before the vote, saying delaying the resolution means more suffering.
The draft of the rejected resolution emphasized the need for a ceasefire on all sides so humanitarian assistance can be delievered and human suffering alleviated. It said civilians should not be displaced and civilian infrastructure should not be destroyed.
The council also reaffirmed its plan to strive for a two-state solution in the Middle East, "with the Gaza Strip as part of a Palestinian state."
A Security Council resolution requires the affirmative votes from least 9 of the 15 member states. In addition, there must be no veto from the permanent members USA, Russia, China, France or Great Britain.
Security Council resolutions are binding under international law. If an affected state ignores them, the body can impose sanctions. However, it is unclear how much influence a resolution would have on the Israeli government of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The US abstained from a successful Security Council resolution in November, which did not call for a ceasefire but at least several days of ceasefire.
Israel launched an air and ground war in Gaza after Palestinian militant Hamas members and allied groups attacked Israel in the country's worse massacre on October 7, killing 1,200 and taking some 250 hostages.
