Northwest Arkansas Democrat-Gazette
U.S. vetoes plan on Gaza; Hamas proposal fails too
NEW YORK — Competing U. N. Security Council proposals to respond to the escalation of violence in Gaza both failed Friday, demonstrating the deep divisions that have paralyzed the U.N.’s most powerful body.
After months of urgent discussions about the violence, the U. S. vetoed an Arab-backed resolution that sought to explore ways to ensure “international protection” for Palestinian civilians, while council members voted down a U.S. resolution to condemn Hamas, the militant group that rules Gaza.
Ten of the council’s 15 members voted for the Arab-backed resolution, drafted by Kuwait. The U.S. was the sole yes vote for its resolution.
In vetoing the Kuwaiti measure, U.S. Ambassador Nikki Haley called it “grossly one-sided” for demanding that the Israeli military halt “the use of any excessive, disproportionate and indiscriminate force” while not mentioning Hamas.
“This resolution is wildly inaccurate in its characterization of recent events in Gaza” and “would harm any efforts toward peace,” she said.
But Kuwaiti Ambassador Mansour Al-Otaibi said the veto stood to exacerbate the problems in Gaza.
“It will increase the sentiment of despair among the Palestinians,” he said.
The defeated U.S. resolution, meanwhile, deletes the reference to Israeli force and protecting Palestinians, while adding many passages casting blame on Hamas for violence, endangering civilians, and deteriorating conditions in Gaza.
It demands that Hamas and other Palestinian militant groups stop “all violent activity and provocative actions” in Gaza and calls for a report on the recent actions of “terrorist organizations such as Hamas” in the coastal strip.
In two months of mass protests at the Gaza border, thousands of Palestinians have been wounded by Israeli military fire and some 110 killed, including a woman who was fatally shot Friday, according to the Palestinian Health Ministry. Israel said its troops were defending its border and accused Hamas of trying to attack under the cover of the protest.
The health ministry said Razan Najjar, 21, was fatally shot in the chest Friday, and over 100 people were injured, 40 of them by live fire.
Witnesses said Najjar was a volunteer paramedic who took part in treating wounded protesters during the weekly demonstrations.
The crowds gathered at five tent camps near the border fence separating Israel and Gaza. Dozens of youths approached the fence, burning tires and hurling rocks at Israeli troops behind the fence.
The Israeli military said in a statement that Palestinian protesters attacked the border fence during Friday’s protests and troops responded with “riot dispersal means.” The army also said a military vehicle came under fire, and a grenade planted on the fence exploded. No Israeli troops were injured.
Hamas said Wednesday that it had agreed to a ceasefire with Israel.
The vetoed Kuwaiti draft resolution expressed “grave concern” at the increased violence and deteriorating situation in the Palestinian territories and called for urgent steps to ensure a “durable and fully respected cease-fire.”