Multiple members of the UN Security Council condemned Hamas on Sunday over its surprise attack on Israel but the United States regretted the lack of consensus.
The United States and Israel urged strong denunciation of the Palestinian militia group at an emergency session, who rule the blocked Gaza Strip and launched a surprise attack on Saturday in a battle that has claimed more than 1,000 lives.
After the closed-door session, Senior US diplomat Robert Wood told reporters, “There are a good number of countries that condemned the Hamas attacks. They’re obviously not all.”
“You could probably figure out one of them without me saying anything,” said Wood, in an apparent allusion to Russia, whose links with the West have worsened sharply since it raided Ukraine.
The Security Council did not regard any joint statement, let alone a binding resolution, with members led by Russia expecting a comprehensive focus rather than criticizing Hamas, Diplomats said.
“My message was to stop the fighting immediately and to go to a ceasefire and to meaningful negotiations, which was told for decades by the Security Council”, said Vassily Nebenzia, the Russian ambassador to the United Nations.
He said, “This is partly the result of unresolved issues.”
China, generally Russia’s supporter at the Security Council, said it would back a joint statement.
“It’s abnormal that the Security Council doesn’t say anything,” Ambassador Zhang Jun said, who earlier pledged Chinese backing for a denunciation of “all attacks against civilians.”
Entering the session, Israel’s ambassador, Gilad Erdan, revealed graphic photos of Israeli civilians being taken and captured by Hamas.
Erdan said, “These are war crimes — blatant, documented war crimes.” “This unimaginable — unimaginable — atrocity must be condemned,” he said of the Security Council.
He said, “Israel must be given steadfast support to defend ourselves — to defend the free world.”
The Palestinian ambassador — who represents the West Bank-centered Palestinian Authority and not Hamas — called on the Security Council to consider ending Israeli occupation.
The envoy, Riyad Mansour said, “Regrettably, history for some media and politicians starts when Israelis are killed.”
He said, “This is not a time to let Israel double-down on its terrible choices. This is a time to tell Israel it needs to change course, that there is a path to peace where neither Palestinians nor Israelis are killed.”
