US vetoes UN Security Council resolution on Gaza

UNITED NATIONS — The United States on Wednesday vetoed a Security Council resolution that would have called for "humanitarian pauses" in Gaza.

The Brazilian-drafted resolution won the support of 12 of the 15 Security Council members. The US, which has veto power, was the only council member that voted against it.

Britain and Russia abstained.

Before voting on the Brazilian draft, the Security Council voted separately on two amendments to the Brazilian draft submitted by Russia.

The Russian amendments — a call for an end to indiscriminate attacks on civilians and civilian subjects, and a call for a durable humanitarian cease-fire, instead of humanitarian pauses contained in the Brazilian text — were unable to pass as there was not enough support by the council members.

The US was the only council member that voted against the Russian amendments.

In an explanation of the vote, US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield said her country "is disappointed this (draft) resolution made no mention of Israel's right of self-defense".

Russia's UN Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia blasted the US for its "hypocrisy and double standards".

The council's failure to make its first public intervention on the Israeli-Palestinian issue came after the rejection of a Russian-backed draft on Monday evening.

China feels "shocked and disappointed" at the result of Wednesday's voting, Zhang Jun, China's permanent representative to the UN, said.

The draft "was supported and co-sponsored by many Arab countries", said Zhang. However, some countries were against it and said that they wanted more time to seek consensus on the basis of the draft resolution tabled by Brazil, he said.

"China supports the Security Council in playing a responsible role and all efforts aimed to de-escalate the situation and restore peace, and welcomes any initiative that helps protect civilians and ease the humanitarian crisis," China's Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Mao Ning said on Thursday.

"China is deeply disappointed at the US blocking the Security Council resolution," she said. "As tensions continue to escalate, the Security Council needs to listen to the call from the many Arab countries and the Palestinian people, and live up to its duty and play its role in bringing about a cease-fire, protecting civilians and averting an even worse humanitarian disaster."

Zhang also warned of the consequences of the fighting in Gaza.

"Both the Palestinian and Israeli peoples have the right to be free from fear, and their security should be equally protected," he said.

Struggling situation

In Gaza City, doctors struggled to treat al-Ahli hospital blast victims, The Associated Press reported. Hundreds of wounded were rushed to Gaza City's main hospital where doctors, already facing critical supply shortages, were sometimes forced to perform surgery on the floors, often without anesthesia.

A steady stream of ambulances, taxis, and cars arrived at a hospital in Khan Younis. Men jumped from the vehicles and scrambled to open doors, with hospital staff members and bystanders helping to carry the injured.

Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and his US counterpart Joe Biden agreed on the delivery of humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip through the Rafah crossing "in a sustainable manner", the Egyptian presidency said in an overnight statement on Thursday.

On the same day, Israel's wartime cabinet decided to allow basic humanitarian aid from Egypt into the Gaza Strip, a development that Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry described as "positive".

The announcement to allow water, food and other supplies happened as fury over the hospital blast spread across the Middle East.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his British counterpart Rishi Sunak on Thursday discussed the need to prevent any regional escalation, the Downing Street office said.

The conflict has killed more than 4,800 people on both sides, AP reported.

Minlu Zhang in New York, Xinhua and agencies contributed to this story.