Arab group at UN rejects 'one-sided' Gaza resolution led by US

By Merve Aydogan

HAMILTON, Canada (AA) - The Arab Group at the UN rejected a US-led resolution on Gaza, which failed to pass the Security Council on Friday, denouncing it as "one-sided."

Following the Security Council vote, Palestine's UN envoy, Riyad Mansour, speaking on behalf of the group, criticized the resolution for its failure to address Israel's crimes in the Palestinian enclave.

"It is not calling for a ceasefire... We need to speak about these things with clearly, or not to add a spin to them," he said.

Noting that the Arab Group would support a resolution demanding a ceasefire in Gaza during Ramadan, Mansour said: "We reject framing what is happening as a terrorism issue. It is a genocide against the entire population of the Palestinian people in the Gaza Strip."

He further stated that the Arab Group would pressure the UN Security Council to recognize Palestine as an official member in April.

The resolution, which linked a ceasefire to the release of hostages and called for support for these efforts, were vetoed by Russia and China. Eleven members favored. Algeria also voted "no," while Guyana abstained.

Israel has waged a deadly military offensive on the Gaza Strip since an Oct. 7 cross-border attack led by Hamas in which some 1,200 Israelis were killed.

Nearly 32,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, have since been killed in Gaza, and more than 74,000 injured amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities.

The Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza’s population into internal displacement amid a crippling blockade of most food, clean water, and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.

Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to ensure its forces do not commit acts of genocide, and guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.