Gaza-Israel: UN Security Council Fails To Agree On Statement

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has met behind closed doors in an emergency session amid the war between Israel and Gaza but failed to achieve the unanimity needed for a joint statement.

Israel retaliated by declaring a state of war and pounding densely-populated Gaza, killing hundreds of people.

The Council met for about 90 minutes and heard a briefing from the UN Middle East Peace Envoy Tor Wennesland.

Diplomats said members led by Russia were hoping for a broader focus than condemning Hamas.

A statement needs to be agreed upon by consensus.

“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, Russia’s UN Ambassador.

“This is partly the result of unresolved issues,” he said.

Neither Israel nor the Palestinian Authority (PA), based in the West Bank and a political rival to Hamas, attended the meeting because they are currently on the Security Council.

The Palestinian Ambassador Riyad Mansour called on diplomats to focus on ending the Israeli occupation.

“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.”

ALJAZEERA