UN Security Council passes ‘humanitarian pause’ resolution
Twelve UNSC members voted in favour.
None voted against.
Three countries – the US, UK and Russia – abstained.
At least no veto this time, however it's a pretty weak resolution
The final draft watered down language from a “demand” to a “call” for humanitarian pauses. It also watered down a demand for “the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages held by Hamas and other groups."
The draft resolution makes no mention of a cease-fire.
It also doesn’t refer to Hamas’ surprise attack on Israel on Oct. 7 that killed around 1,200 people and took some 240 others hostage. Nor does it cite Israel’s retaliatory airstrikes and ground offensive in Hamas-ruled Gaza that Gaza's health ministry says has killed more than 11,000 Palestinians, two-thirds of them women and children.
The draft asks that “all parties comply with their obligations under international law, notably with regard to the protection of civilians, especially children.”
https://time.com/6335677/u-n-security-council-vote-resolution-humanitarian-pauses-gaza/
That's the best the UN can do :(
Meanwhile the US is trying to cover its tracks
The US continues to believe Israel should not target hospitals in Gaza from the air and that civilians should be protected from the crossfire, National Security Council spokesperson John Kirby said, as Israel continues its raid on the enclave’s largest medical facility.
Kirby said the US did not sign off on the specific operation around Al-Shifa Hospital nor does it approve any of Israel’s military plans.
“We did not give an OK to their military operations around the hospital, in similar fashion to the fact that we don't give OKs to their other tactical operations,” Kirby said. “These are Israeli military operations that they plan and they execute on, you know, in accordance with their own established procedures that the United States is not involved in.”
He said he would "refrain ... from providing a running commentary on what is an ongoing operation."
He repeated his assertion from a day earlier that the US doesn’t "want to see hospitals attacked from the air" or to "see innocent civilians, patients, medical staff become victims of crossfire between Hamas and Israeli Defense Forces."
He said the operation around Al-Shifa was "not a focus" of President Joe Biden’s phone call Tuesday with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Kirby also said the decision Tuesday to unveil downgraded intelligence about Hamas’ use of the Al-Shifa Hospital as a command node was unrelated to Israel’s forthcoming operation.
“My delivery of some downgraded information yesterday, the timing of that really came after work by the intelligence community to prepare that information for downgrade, and it had nothing to do with any operational timing or any decision making by the Israeli Defense Forces,” he said.
CNN cannot independently verify Israel’s claims that Hamas is operating from the hospital.
Coincidence, just like the huge pro Israel rally in Washington DC.
Why is the US so afraid to say no to Israel?
