BICOM

The UN Security Council (UNSC) failed to condemn Hamas for firing 180 missile against Israel when it met yesterday afternoon.

The US circulated a draft statement ahead of the emergency meeting that strongly condemned the missile attacks, but it was blocked by Kuwait, the non-permanent Arab representative on the UNSC.

US Ambassador to the UN Nikki Haley said: “Unlike some situations we deal with here in the Security Council, where guilty parties claim mistaken identity, or lack of evidence of responsibility, this is clearly not the case. Hamas openly claims responsibility for this attack. They do so proudly. Their only regret is that the attack did not kill anyone. The Security Council has always been quick to pounce on Israel, regardless of the facts or the circumstances. It is outrageous for the Security Council to fail to condemn Hamas rocket attacks against Israeli citizens while the Human Rights Council approves sending a team to investigate Israeli actions taken in self-defence.”

In a rare joint statement, Hamas and Palestinian Islamic Jihad (PIJ) declared shared responsibility for the missile attack, saying it was in retaliation for Israeli attacks targeting their positions.

Kuwait is pushing for a vote on its own draft resolution, which calls for “the consideration of measures” for the protection of Palestinian civilians. The council is expected to vote later this week on the text, but diplomats expect the US to veto it. Haley said that “the people of Gaza do not need protection from an external source. The people of Gaza need protection from Hamas”.

UK Ambassador to the UN, Karen Pierce, told the Security Council that she condemned “in the strongest terms, yesterday’s mortar and rocket attacks from Gaza into Israel”. She called for the council to demand Hamas and PIJ to “cease all violent and provocative actions and cease any and all actions that put civilian lives at risk,” whilst saying that “it is the responsibility of the international community to work together to find a way to alleviate the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza”.

Palestinian Ambassador to the UN, Riyad Mansour, said that the Palestinian leadership refuses to view Israel as the victim whilst its people are occupied and oppressed.

Earlier this month, the UN’s Human Rights Council passed a resolution urging a probe into Israeli actions on the Gaza border during the protests, angering Israel and the US, which have accused the body of being one-sided.