France, Japan, UK, US reject Russia's UN resolution for Gaza ceasefire

Western powers rejected a UN Security Council resolution Monday night that called for a humanitarian ceasefire for Gaza, as the besieged Palestinian enclave continues to suffer intensive Israeli bombing.

France, the UK, and the US, as well as Japan, voted against the resolution proposed by Russia, which, in addition to the ceasefire, had called for the "release of all hostages, aid access, and safe evacuation of civilians".

Only four countries - China, Gabon, Mozambique, and the United Arab Emirates - voted in favour of the resolution. Six countries abstained.

Though the resolution "strongly condemns all violence and hostilities directed against civilians and all acts of terrorism", it made no explicit mention of Hamas – a matter that representatives of countries that voted against the resolution took issue with.

"By failing to condemn Hamas, Russia is giving cover to a terrorist group that brutalises innocent civilians," said Linda Thomas-Greenfield, Permanent Representative of the US. "It is outrageous, hypocritical and indefensible."

Vassily Nebenzia, Permanent Representative of Russia to the UN blamed the failure to adopt the resolution on the "selfish intention of the western bloc."

Israel has bombarded the Gaza Strip since 7 October, and later tightened a siege on the enclave that it first put in place more than 15 years ago. The bombing, which followed a surprise attack by Palestinian group Hamas on Israeli territory, has killed close to 3,000 Palestinians.

Israel also called for a mass evacuation of people living in northern Gaza to the south of the enclave, to avoid an expected ground war.

More than one million people in Gaza have been displaced, and the enclave is fast running out of food, potable water, medicine, and electricity.

The Security Council had met behind closed doors Friday for the second time in five days on the Israel-Hamas war, but could not reach a united approach.

Russia proposed its draft resolution and Brazil, the current council president, circulated a rival draft over the weekend.

The Brazilian draft resolution calls for "humanitarian pauses" and also "firmly condemns all violence and hostilities against civilians and all acts of terrorism." But it also "unequivocally rejects and condemns the heinous terrorist attacks by Hamas."