The US-led draft resolution did not pass due to negative votes from permanent Security Council members China and Russia. Ten Council members voted in favor of the resolution, while three voted against (China, Russia, and UAE), and two abstained (Brazil and Mozambique). The negative vote from any of the five permanent members of the Council halts action on any measure presented. The permanent members are China, France, Russian Federation, the United Kingdom, and the United States.
A second draft resolution led by Russia was also not adopted as it did not receive enough votes in favor. Four Council members voted in favor (China, Gabon, Russia, and UAE), two voted against (UK and US), and nine abstained (Albania, Brazil, Ecuador, France, Ghana, Japan, Malta, Mozambique, Switzerland). For a resolution to be adopted, it must receive support from at least nine Council members.
Both draft resolutions called for a “humanitarian ceasefire” or “humanitarian pause” to allow for the safe delivery of aid to desperate civilians. The drafts condemned the terror attacks by Hamas on Israeli civilians on October 7 and urged action to address the worsening humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip. Key differences between the drafts included the mention of states’ inherent right to self-defense in the US-backed proposal and the demand for the immediate cancellation of the evacuation order for civilians in southern Gaza in the Russian-led one.
It is important to note that draft resolutions do not represent the official position of the Security Council until they are adopted. Some Council members expressed their positions before the votes were cast.
US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield expressed disappointment in the vetoing of the US resolution and stated that the US will continue to work towards providing humanitarian aid to Gaza. Russian Ambassador Vassily Nebenzya regretted the Council’s failure to respond to the conflict in the Middle East and urged support for the Russian-led text. Chinese Ambassador Zhang Jun explained the reasons behind China’s veto of the US resolution and stated that China would vote in favor of the Russian text. UK Ambassador Barbara Woodward highlighted the shortcomings of both draft resolutions and emphasized the need for a balanced text that condemns Hamas and recognizes Israel’s right to self-defense. UAE Ambassador Lana Zaki Nusseibeh called on the Council to address the pressing humanitarian needs in Gaza. Israeli Ambassador Gilad Erdin stressed Israel’s right to self-defense and criticized the Council for its double standards.
The Security Council previously voted down a Russian-led draft resolution calling for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and a Brazilian-led text that urged humanitarian pauses to deliver aid to Gaza. An open debate on the crisis between Israel and Palestine was held on Tuesday, with statements from over 80 countries.