The UN Security Council convened an urgent closed-door meeting on Sunday. The United States insisted that all 15 members strongly denounce “these atrocious acts of terrorism perpetrated by Hamas,” yet no immediate action was taken. The session lasted approximately 90 minutes, during which the UN’s Middle East peace envoy, Tor Wennesland, provided a briefing.

According to diplomats, led by Russia, some members were hoping for a broader discussion beyond simply condemning Hamas. A consensus statement needs to be reached. Russia’s UN ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia, emphasised, “My message was to halt the conflict immediately, implement a ceasefire, and engage in substantive negotiations, as has been urged for decades by the Security Council.”

US Condemns Hamas

The U.S. pressed for a robust condemnation of Hamas from all council members. Following the meeting, U.S. Deputy Ambassador Robert Wood noted that “a considerable number of nations” did indeed denounce the Hamas assault, though not every council member did. He hinted that reporters could likely discern one of them.

Russia’s U.N. ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia, informed The Associated Press that the Americans attempted to suggest during the meeting that Russia wasn’t condemning the attacks, but he asserted, “That’s false.” He clarified, “I explicitly stated it in my remarks: We condemn all attacks on civilians.”

Nebenzia emphasized that Russia’s position is: “It is crucial to promptly halt the hostilities, initiate a ceasefire, and engage in substantive negotiations, which have been at an impasse for decades.”

Earlier, Chinese Ambassador Zhang Jun, as he entered the meeting, articulated a similar position. He stated that Beijing condemns all assaults on civilians, without specifically mentioning Hamas. Zhang emphasized, “What’s truly crucial is preventing any escalation of the situation and additional harm to civilians. Equally important is a return to the two-state solution.”

Wood emphasized that the U.S. is primarily focused on condemning Hamas for “this unexpected aggression and the acts of terrorism.” He stressed that Hamas must cease its “aggressive terrorist actions against the Israeli population.”

Malta’s U.N. ambassador, Vanessa Frazier, who initiated the meeting, mentioned that she was uncertain about the council’s decision regarding a statement. However, she insisted that if a condemnation were to be made, it should primarily be directed at Hamas. She noted, “Palestinian civilians are also suffering in this, and Hamas is responsible for their predicament.”

Wood described the situation as “constantly changing and highly perilous,” underscoring that the Biden administration, along with other nations in the region, is putting in considerable effort to contain the escalation of this conflict.

Israel at UN

Since Saturday, when Hamas, the Palestinian group in control of the blockaded Gaza Strip, initiated an assault on Israeli towns and took hundreds of people hostage, the death toll has already surpassed 1,100. In retaliation, Israel declared a state of war and launched a relentless campaign on densely-populated Gaza, resulting in the deaths of hundreds.

On October 9, Gilad Erdan, Israel’s Permanent Representative to the United Nations, strongly condemned the heinous war crimes committed by Hamas terrorists, who, in a “surprise attack,” killed hundreds of innocent Israelis. 

He described their actions as brutal, with gunmen deliberately targeting civilians and even intruding into homes to carry out shootings. Erdan stated that they shot at innocent people in the streets ruthlessly, shooting them at point blank “like insects”

Erdan emphasized that these acts are unequivocally documented as war crimes. He additionally pointed out that Hamas terrorists targeted an outdoor gathering where young Israelis were celebrating a holiday weekend. Erdan stated that babies were forcibly separated from their mothers. These are unmistakable war crimes, but sadly, the horror doesn’t stop there. Hamas militants came across a gathering of young Israelis celebrating the holiday weekend outdoors.

Read Further: https://test.inpactimes.com/israel-hamas-war-what-happened/