UNITED NATIONS: Russian Permanent Representative to the UN Vasily Nebenzya criticized the West for disregarding the interests of the Palestinians, whom he said are treated as inferior people by the Western countries. He made this statement at a UN Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East.
Nebenzya said that the Council has failed to make decisions to stop the ongoing violence in the region, despite the calls from the international community, humanitarian agencies, non-governmental organizations and ordinary citizens for an immediate ceasefire. He said that Russia has been urging for a ceasefire since the beginning of the escalation.
He also said that the humanitarian resolution on the Middle East adopted by the Council with the US influence is weak and ineffective, as it does not demand a ceasefire or provide practical measures to ensure access and assistance to those in need. He said that the resolution only calls for humanitarian pauses and lacks a mechanism for monitoring its implementation.
He said that the Council rejected Russia’s amendment to the resolution, which proposed a humanitarian ceasefire leading to a cessation of hostilities.
The Council adopted the Maltese draft humanitarian resolution on the Middle East on November 15, which aimed to help children in the Palestinian-Israeli conflict zone. Twelve members of the Council voted in favor of the document, while the United Kingdom, Russia and the United States abstained.
The conflict in the Middle East erupted on October 7, when Hamas launched a surprise attack on Israeli territory from the Gaza Strip, killing Israeli civilians and taking over 200 hostages. Hamas said that its attack was a response to the Israeli aggression against the Al-Aqsa Mosque on the Temple Mount in Jerusalem. Israel responded by imposing a total blockade on the Gaza Strip, where 2.3 million Palestinians live, and conducting air strikes on Gaza and some parts of Lebanon and Syria. Clashes are also taking place in the West Bank.
