China has let its frustration be known after the US was the lone veto to Tuesday’s UN Security Council vote urging a ceasefire in Gaza, which would have brought immense international pressure to bear on Israel to stop its offensive.
The UN text called for an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire” and was proposed by Algeria for the 15-member Security Council’s approval. It was seen as having widespread Arab backing. The vote was 13-1 with the UK abstaining and the US being the lone ‘no’ vote, which is a familiar pattern historically on Israel-related issues.
China’s envoy to the UN has said the US stance is tantamount to handing Israel a “license to kill” as it’s “nothing different from giving the green light to the continued slaughter,” according to the words of Chinese Ambassador to teh UN Zhang Jun.
“The U.S. veto sends a wrong message, pushing the situation in Gaza into a more dangerous one,” said Zhang further, at a moment the death toll in Gaza is approaching 30,000 – according to Palestinian sources.
Zhang also denounced the official US excuse and justification for the no vote, which said the resolution if passed would interfere with sensitive ongoing diplomatic negotiations to achieve peace and free the hostages.
According to more from the full statement published in Chinese state media:
The U.S. claim that a resolution would interfere with the ongoing diplomatic efforts is totally untenable. Given the situation on the ground, the continued passive avoidance of an immediate cease-fire is nothing different from giving the green light to the continued slaughter, he said.
While the draft resolution has been vetoed, the spillover of the conflict is destabilizing the entire Middle East region, leading to rising risks of a wider war. Only by extinguishing the flames of war in Gaza can the world prevent the fires of hell from engulfing the entire region. The Security Council must act quickly to stop this carnage, said Zhang.
In a press conference after the vote, US ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield issued some ill-chosen words which are being called out by a number of independent journalists, critics, and Palestinian supporters.
“All told, we intend to do this the right way, so that we can create the right conditions for a safer, more peaceful future. And we will continue to actively engage in the hard work of direct diplomacy on the ground until we reach a final solution,” she said.
New on MoA:
“A Final Solution”https://t.co/WMvjDz88h2 pic.twitter.com/IbvrvtcWYn— Moon of Alabama (@MoonofA) February 21, 2024
The pro-Palestinian side has frequently accused Israel of pursuing “genocide” in the Gaza Strip and thus the word choice of the US helping Israeli impose a “final solution” has raised eyebrows.
Previously Washington has resisted China-led efforts at the UNSC to censure Israel, saying that these efforts “would draw an equivalence” between the Israeli army and Hamas or Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) terrorists.
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