Arab-backed UN draft resolution calling for protective measures for Palestinians failed due to US veto

Washington, June 2: An Arab-backed UN draft resolution calling for protective measures for the Palestinians that won backing from 10 countries at the Security Council but failed after the United States vetoed it on Friday.

 

Notably, the United States vetoed an Arab-backed UN draft resolution calling for protective measures for the Palestinians after more than 100 people were killed in Israeli fire during protests at the border with Gaza.

The Kuwait-drafted resolution backed by other Arab countries at the Security Council had called for “measures to guarantee the safety and protection” of Palestinian civilians in Gaza and the occupied West Bank, and requested a UN report to propose an “international protection mechanism” won backing from 10 countries including China, France and Russia but failed after the United States vetoed it.

While four countries including Ethiopia, the UK, the Netherlands and Poland abstained from voting. A draft resolution requires nine votes to be adopted in the 15-member council and no veto from the five permanent members including the US.

Putting up a veto to draft, US Ambassador Nikki Haley told the council that the measure was wildly inaccurate in its characterization of recent events in Gaza by condemning Israel for the violence. She further noted that there is not a single mention of Hamas in the resolution when it is chiefly responsible for the recent violence in Gaza.

Haley also added that the text criticizes the excessive and indiscriminate use of force by Israeli forces against Palestinian civilians, when in fact, it is Hamas that fired 70 rockets indiscriminately into Israeli towns this week.

After putting a veto on Arab-backed draft, the United States introduced its own text to the council-A proposal that would condemn Hamas for its role in the escalation of violence in Gaza in the last two months. However, the US was the only country that voted in favor of the draft resolution in the Security Council. Eleven countries abstained while Bolivia, Kuwait and Russia opposed it.

Meanwhile, Israeli envoy to the UN Danny Danon condemned Kuwait’s hypocritical resolution that did not “even mention the terrorists of Hamas as the root cause of violence and unrest in our region.”

BACKGROUND:

The violence, which broke out after the opening of US embassy in Jerusalem, claimed the lives of more than 100 Palestinians 14 May this year. While over 2400 people were injured in the mass protests. After the violence, UN held an emergency meeting and called for calm along the Gaza-Israeli border.

The Palestinians who were killed were termed as martyrs. Here is the reality of so-called Palestinian martyrs.

After the violence, the Israeli Defence forces said around 40,000 Gazans were demonstrating in 12 locations along the border at the riots’ peak. It said thousands more were gathered at points several hundred meters from the fence.

It accused Hamas which controls Gaza of leading a terrorist operation and inciting protesters who had amassed by the border fence. Israel further described the incident as terror attacks.