US Vetoes UN Resolution for Gaza Ceasefire as Biden Visit Fails to Calm Fears of Wider War
The big controversy out of the UN Security Council on Wednesday is that the US vetoed a draft resolution calling for a humanitarian pause in Gaza, as Israeli airstrikes continue and ground forces are reportedly still staging for an invasion.
The draft resolution was proposed by Brazil and condemned “the terrorist attacks by Hamas,” urged the release of hostages, while calling for a “humanitarian pause” or ceasefire. 12 members approved the draft Wednesday, the UK and Russia abstained, but the United States shot it down.
US ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said she wanted US diplomacy to “play out” first, but also criticized the resolution text for not expressly upholding Israel’s right to self defense. Thomas-Greenfield slammed this aspect, saying in her explanation before the council:
“Colleagues, the United States is disappointed this resolution made no mention of Israel’s right of self-defense. Like every nation in the world, Israel has the inherent right of self-defense, as reflected in Article 51 of the UN Charter. Following previous terrorist attacks by groups such as al-Qaida and ISIS, this Council reaffirmed that right. This text should have done the same.”
In Tel Aviv, Biden was asked in follow-up to his speech earlier in the day why he is backing Israel’s denial of being behind the hospital bombing. Biden responded that it was due to “the data I was shown by my Defense Department.” And the White House national security spokesperson additionally issued the following statement:
Bloomberg, meanwhile at the conclusion of Biden’s time in Tel Aviv issued the headline, Biden Fails to Calm Fears of Wider War in 7.5-Hour Visit
Now that Biden is flying out of Israel, that “imminent” ground invasion might take place after all. All eyes will also be on the northern border to see what Hezbollah does (and by extension Iran) in response.
At a moment the whole region threatens to erupt, and as mass protests have continued across Arab capitals and in many other parts of the world, President Joe Biden arrived in Israel Wednesday pledging unwavering US support for Israel.
Breaking from other allies like France’s Macron (and some Europeans), who appeared to condemn Israel for the deadly al-Ahli Baptist Hospital bombing, Biden instead during his first meeting with Netanyahu since the crisis began sided with Israel’s narrative of events. “Based on what I have seen, it was done by the other team, not you,” Biden said.
“But there’s a lot of people out there who are not sure. So we’ve got to overcome a lot of things,” he added. The Israelis had the day prior emphasized they had shared their case, including intelligence they say they possess, with the Americans as Biden was en route in Air Force One to Tel Aviv.
“We saw the cost of this terrible war crime yesterday, when a rocket fired by Palestinian terrorists misfired and landed on a Palestinian hospital,” Netanayahu continued in his meeting with Biden. “The entire world was rightfully outraged – but this outrage should be directed not at Israel, but at the terrorists. As we proceed in this war, Israel will do everything it can to keep civilians out of harm’s way.”
Netanyahu further said “the civilized world must unite to defeat Hamas” and that “we will defeat Hamas and remove this terrible threat from our lives.”
After Arab leaders, including King Abdullah and Egypt’s Sisi, canceled planned meetings with Biden, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken held a phone call with Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas – who had also refused to meet with Biden. A readout said Blinken called “to express profound condolences for the civilian lives lost in the explosion at the Al-Ahli Anglican hospital in Gaza City.”
“The Secretary expressed continuing U.S. support for the Palestinian people, stressing that Hamas terrorists do not represent Palestinians or their legitimate aspirations for self-determination and equal measures of dignity, freedom, security, and justice,” the readout published Wednesday said.
As for the hospital massacre, it remains that no foreign investigators or even for the most part foreign journalists have access to the site at this point. Some mainstream media reports in the West have highlighted this fact…
@MSNBC raises questions about Israeli denial of hospital strike (1/2) https://t.co/o4El5xRu9Q pic.twitter.com/1fdfVioy5h
— Mahan Mirza (@MirzaMahan) October 17, 2023
German Chancellor Olaf Scholz while in Egypt meeting with Sisi has called for a “thorough investigation” into the attack, saying “we still do not know exactly what happened.” Anger continues to explode on the Arab street, after overnight fires were reported at the entrance of the US Embassy complex in Beirut.
