US vetoes UN resolution calling for ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages

US vetoes UN resolution calling for ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages
US Alternate Ambassador to the UN Robert Wood speaks during a UN Security Council meeting on the situation in Palestine and Middle East at the UN headquarters in New York City, on November 20, 2024. (AFP)
Short Url
Updated 21 November 2024
Follow

US vetoes UN resolution calling for ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages

US vetoes UN resolution calling for ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages
  • Resolution was put forward by 10 elected, non-permanent Security Council members
  • Over 44,000 Palestinians have been killed since Israel’s war in Gaza began in October 2023

NEW YORK CITY: The US on Wednesday used the power of veto it holds as one of the five permanent member of the UN Security Council to block a resolution demanding “an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire” in Gaza and “the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.”

The resolution was put forward by the 10 elected, non-permanent members of the council. The US was the only one of the 15 members not to vote in favor of it.

The text of the resolution also called for the “safe and unhindered entry of humanitarian assistance at scale” to Gaza, including besieged areas in the north of the territory, and denounced any attempt to deliberately starve the population there.

More than 44,000 Palestinians have been killed since Israel’s war in Gaza began in October last year, and the UN says that in excess of 70 percent of the verified deaths were among women and children. More than 130,000 people have been injured. The UN believes these figures to be an underestimate, given that scores of bodies are thought to be buried under the rubble of destroyed or damaged buildings.

The war has also displaced almost the entire population of the enclave, resulting in a humanitarian catastrophe.

On Monday, the UN’s Special Committee to Investigate Israeli Practices presented a report to the General Assembly in which it said the methods of warfare employed by Israel in Gaza, including the use of starvation as a weapon, the mass civilian casualties and the life-threatening conditions deliberately inflicted on Palestinians, are consistent with the characteristics of genocide.

After the Security Council failed to adopt the resolution on Wednesday, Majed Bamya, the Palestinian deputy ambassador to the UN, told its members that they were witnessing an attempt “to annihilate a nation” and yet the “very tools designed to respond (to this are) not being used.”

He added: “Maybe for some we have the wrong nationality, the wrong faith, the wrong skin color, but we are humans and we should be treated as such.

“Is there a UN Charter for Israel that is different from the charter you all have? Is there an international law for them? An international law for us? Do they have the right to kill and the only right we have is to die?

“What more can (Israel) do for this council to act under Chapter 7? Or will this council be the last place on earth that cannot recognize a threat to peace when they see it?”

Chapter 7 of the UN Charter relates to action that can be taken by member states in response to threats to peace and acts of aggression.

Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, told council members: “Today, a shameful attempt to abandon our kidnapped men and women by the UN was prevented. Thanks to the US, we stood firm with our position that there will be no ceasefire without the release of the hostages. We will continue in this struggle until everyone returns home.”

Robert Wood, the deputy US ambassador, said that an unconditional ceasefire would mean acceptance by the Security Council of Hamas remaining in power in Gaza.

“The United States will never accept this,” he added. “Rather than adopting a resolution that emboldens Hamas, let’s instead demand Hamas implement Resolution 2735 without further condition or delay.

“Let’s continue to ensure Israel facilitates additional humanitarian aid into Gaza, and let's work to bring a durable end to the suffering and misery of Hamas’ many victims."

Security Council Resolution 2735, which was adopted in June, calls on Hamas to accept a proposed hostage and ceasefire agreement with Israel.

British envoy Barbara Woodward, whose country holds the rotating presidency of the council this month, expressed regret over the failure of the council to adopt the resolution but vowed to “keep striving, alongside our partners, to bring this war to a close.”

She said: “The deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Gaza is catastrophic and unacceptable. All of Gaza is at risk of famine, and in some areas this is likely to be imminent. Yet the aid reaching civilians remains entirely insufficient to mitigate this unfolding disaster.

“The unthinkable hardship that civilians are already facing in Gaza is set to get even worse as winter approaches.”

Woodward urged Israeli authorities to take “urgent action to alleviate this crisis. International humanitarian law must be respected by all sides.”

China’s ambassador to the UN, Fu Cong, said that even with the imminent threat of famine in Gaza, “the United States always seems to be able to find a justification to defend Israel.” It is a stance that represents a distortion of international humanitarian law, he added.

“People keep learning something new they never knew before was possible, and how low one can stoop. No wonder people feel angry,” said Fu.

“People’s indignation also stems from the fact that the continued supply of weapons from the US (to Israel) has become a decisive factor in the war lasting so long, causing so many casualties and so much destruction.”

He added: “All hostages must be released. An immediate and unconditional ceasefire must be established. Both are important factors. There should be no conditionality. They cannot be linked to each other because facts have shown that Israel’s military operations in Gaza have long exceeded the scope of rescuing hostages.

“Insistence on setting a precondition for ceasefire is tantamount to giving the green light to continuing the war and condoning the continued killing.”

The Algerian ambassador, Amar Bendjama, told the council after the vote: “Today’s message is clear.

“To the Israeli occupying power: You may continue your genocide and collective punishment of the Palestinian people with complete impunity. In this chamber, you enjoy immunity.

“To the Palestinian people: While the majority of the world stands in solidarity with your plight, tragically, others remain indifferent to your suffering.”

Nicolas de Riviere, France’s permanent representative to the UN, lamented the latest failure by the council to help bring an end to the war.

“France voted in favor of this resolution and deeply regrets that the (Security Council) remains unable to speak with one voice on the situation in the Middle East.”

The Russian envoy, Vassily Nebenzia, directly addressed his US counterpart and accused him of being responsible for the deaths “of tens of thousands of innocent civilians (and) the suffering of hostages and illegally detained Palestinians.”

He added: “It was very interesting to hear the American representative today, in the wake of the vote, say that the resolution does not contain provisions on the release of hostages. Well, it does contain such a provision. Perhaps the US representative should read through the resolution before voting against it.”


Djokovic tames Alcaraz; Sabalenka keeps Melbourne hat trick alive

Djokovic tames Alcaraz; Sabalenka keeps Melbourne hat trick alive
Updated 7 min 33 sec ago
Follow

Djokovic tames Alcaraz; Sabalenka keeps Melbourne hat trick alive

Djokovic tames Alcaraz; Sabalenka keeps Melbourne hat trick alive
  • The 37-year-old Serb, who is chasing a record 25th Grand Slam crown, outlasted the Spaniard, 16 years his junior, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 despite having his left thigh heavily strapped

MELBOURNE: Ageless Novak Djokovic won an epic generational clash against Carlos Alcaraz on Tuesday to stay on track for an 11th Australian Open title with Alexander Zverev next in the semifinals.

The 37-year-old Serb, who is chasing a record 25th Grand Slam crown, outlasted the Spaniard, 16 years his junior, 4-6, 6-4, 6-3, 6-4 despite having his left thigh heavily strapped.

It was a vintage 3hrs 37mins performance and put him into the last four at Melbourne Park for a 12th time, with only Roger Federer (15) doing so more often.

The win also extended his all-time record for most Grand Slam semifinal appearances to 50, four clear of the Swiss great.

To reach another final, he will need to beat second seed Zverev, who battled into the last four for a second year running with a 7-6 (7/1), 7-6 (7/0), 2-6, 6-1 win over American 12th seed Tommy Paul.

As the wind swirled, Djokovic opened with a commanding hold then broke immediately as Alcaraz struggled to find his range.

Meanwhile, Aryna Sabalenka battled through “unbelievable” windy conditions Tuesday to reach the Melbourne semifinals and keep her dream of an Australian Open hat-trick alive.

The world No. 1 faces Spain’s Paula Badosa for a place in the final after grinding past Russia’s Anastasia Pavlyuchenkova 6-2, 2-6, 6-3 at the Rod Laver Arena.

“The conditions were unbelievable. The wind was so strong. It was very difficult for both of us,” said Sabalenka, who can become the first woman since Martina Hingis in 1999 to win the Australian Open three years in a row.

If she does, she will join a select group of five women who have completed the Melbourne three-peat. The others are Margaret Court, Evonne Goolagong, Steffi Graf and Monica Seles.

“I’m really happy that I put myself in this situation where I have the opportunity to become one of them,” said Sabalenka.

“To be next to those names, wow, that’s just a dream.”

The 11th seed Badosa earlier stunned world No. 3 Coco Gauff in straight sets to reach her maiden Grand Slam semifinal at the age of 27.

“She’s a great player and she has been through a lot. Now she’s back on her best game. I’m really happy to see that,” said Sabalenka of Badosa, who a year ago almost quit tennis because of a chronic back condition.

Sabalenka’s 19th win in a row at Melbourne Park turned into a battle for survival in increasingly blustery conditions.


Belgian court throws out Covid vaccine case against EU chief

Belgian court throws out Covid vaccine case against EU chief
Updated 3 min 28 sec ago
Follow

Belgian court throws out Covid vaccine case against EU chief

Belgian court throws out Covid vaccine case against EU chief
  • The Liege appeals court “declared inadmissible” a set of complaints brought in 2023 by Belgian former lobbyist Frederic Baldan
  • The court “found the complainants wrong across the board,” von der Leyen’s lawyer Adrien Masset said

BRUSSELS: A Belgian court dismissed a lawsuit against EU chief Ursula von der Leyen centered on text messages she exchanged with the head of vaccine maker Pfizer during negotiations for Covid jabs, her lawyer said on Tuesday.
Another source close to the case confirmed to AFP that the Liege appeals court “declared inadmissible” a set of complaints brought in 2023 by Belgian former lobbyist Frederic Baldan, as he could not prove suffering “personal harm.”
The court “found the complainants wrong across the board,” von der Leyen’s lawyer Adrien Masset told AFP.
The EU moved swiftly after the Covid pandemic emerged in 2020 to secure vaccines for member countries to buy for their citizens and residents, at a time of massive global demand for the shots.
But many aspects of the procurement from key supplier Pfizer have been kept confidential, leading to claims of a lack of transparency — and several legal proceedings.
Last year Baldan, who argued that von der Leyen both overstepped her role and violated the commission’s code of conduct, lost a similar lawsuit in Brussels.
Another complaint filed by The New York Times against the commission for failing to release the texts despite a freedom of information request is being heard by the Luxembourg-based Court of Justice of the European Union.
Various anti-vaccine groups and personalities, as well as Hungary and Poland, had joined Baldan’s Liege case, which contested the ability of the EU prosecutor’s office (EPPO) to effectively investigate the matter.
The EPPO, an independent body fighting fraud involving EU funds, opened a still-ongoing probe into vaccine purchases in 2022.
“The EU has now become an area of non-freedom, insecurity and injustice,” Baldan said of his latest court defeat.
The commission does not dispute that the text messages existed but says they did not constitute part of the vaccine negotiation — and are no longer available.


Saudi Arabia’s FM announces landmark visit to Lebanon

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan speaks at the WEF in Davos on January 21, 2025. (AFP)
Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan speaks at the WEF in Davos on January 21, 2025. (AFP)
Updated 10 min 8 sec ago
Follow

Saudi Arabia’s FM announces landmark visit to Lebanon

Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan speaks at the WEF in Davos on January 21, 2025. (AFP)
  • The one-day trip on Thursday will mark the first visit by a high-ranking Saudi official to Lebanon since 2015
  • Prince Faisal bin Farhan welcomed the potential formation of a new government but emphasized the need for real reforms

DAVOS: Prince Faisal bin Farhan said on Tuesday in Davos he would visit Lebanon later this week, the first such trip by a Saudi foreign minister in more than a decade.

He made the announcement during a panel on diplomacy at the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in the Swiss resort town. 

The one-day trip on Thursday will mark the first visit by a high-ranking Saudi official to Lebanon since 2015, after years of strained relations due to Lebanon’s perceived alignment with Iran, its role in drug smuggling to Gulf countries, and ongoing instability.

Prince Faisal described the recent election of a president in Lebanon, following a prolonged political vacuum, as a highly positive development.

He said the Kingdom welcomed the potential formation of a government but emphasized the need for real reforms and a forward-looking approach to ensure sustainable progress.

He reiterated that the future of Lebanon rested in the hands of its people, urging them to make decisions that steer the country in a new direction.

“We will need to see real action, real reform and we will need to see a commitment to a Lebanon that is looking to the future, not to the past,” said Prince Faisal.

“And based on what I hear there and what we see, I think that will inform the Kingdom’s approach, but I have to say what I’ve seen so far and the conversations that we’ve been hearing in Lebanon, all allow me to be very much optimistic.

“We’ve always said, it’s really up to the Lebanese to decide and to make the choices to take Lebanon in a different direction.”

Prince Faisal also said he is “cautiously optimistic” about Syria’s future, citing encouraging signs from the new administration in Damascus and the resilience of the Syrian people.

He emphasized the need for patience and engagement from both the regional and international communities to help rebuild the country’s broken institutions and create a better future for Syrians.

“I would certainly say I’m cautiously optimistic. I may even lean further because you have, first of all, an administration that is saying the right things in private and in public, doing a lot of the right things, but also you have a Syrian people that are incredibly capable and incredibly resourceful,” he said.

He urged collaboration to build on recent positive developments, underlining the collective responsibility to aid Syria’s recovery, especially considering the willingness of the new administration in Damascus to engage constructively with regional and global partners.

“The reality is that they have inherited a broken country with no real institutions and they are having to build all of that from scratch, and that’s not an easy thing,” he said.

“So it’s up to us, I feel in the region first but certainly the international community, to engage, to come and build on this positive development and help Syria and the Syrian people see a much better future.”

Prince Faisal highlighted the importance of lifting the heavy burden of sanctions imposed due to actions of the previous regime, noting some progress with waivers from the US and Europe.

Prince Faisal was also positive about the region as a whole, including the Kingdom.

“We are certainly in a region that is abundant with risk factors, but we are also in a region that has huge potential,” he told the panel.

“I would say that even with the very difficult year behind us, we have shown that we can be resilient as a region and we can actually look to the future, whether it’s the Kingdom, or the GCC countries, and their ability to stay on track with their economic agendas,” he added.

He stressed the importance of avoiding conflict, particularly in light of tensions between Iran and Israel, and expressed optimism regarding the new US administration under President Donald Trump.

“I don’t see the incoming US administration as contributory to the risk of war. On the contrary, I think President Trump has been quite clear that he does not favor conflict,” he said.

“I hope that the approach will also be met on the Iranian side by the addressing of the nuclear program, by being willing to engage with the incoming administration in a way that can help us stay on track with this positive momentum.”

Also on the panel was Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani, prime minister and foreign minister of Qatar, who expressed hope that the ceasefire in Gaza between Israel and Hamas would bring much needed relief to the Palestinian people.

Qatar’s PM Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman bin Jassim Al-Thani speaks with WEF President and CEO Borge Brende during the annual meeting in Davos on January 21, 2025. (AFP)

“Let’s be hopeful (about the ceasefire). It’s still a long way to go with what happened throughout the last 15 months negotiating this very difficult conflict,” he said.

“It showed us that everything can be resolved through talks and through engagement, through negotiations, and we started this week with good news.

“We have seen the humanitarian aid coming in, we have seen hostages going back and we hope that this will be a fair system toward stability now.”


What We Are Reading Today: ‘Dinosaur Behavior’ by Michael J. Benton

What We Are Reading Today: ‘Dinosaur Behavior’ by Michael J. Benton
Updated 15 min 54 sec ago
Follow

What We Are Reading Today: ‘Dinosaur Behavior’ by Michael J. Benton

What We Are Reading Today: ‘Dinosaur Behavior’ by Michael J. Benton

Paleobiology has advanced from a speculative subject to a cutting-edge science. Today, researchers are applying the latest forensic technologies to the fossil record, revealing startling new insights into the lives of dinosaurs.

This illustrated guide explores the behavior, evolution, physiology, and extinction of dinosaurs, taking readers inside the mysterious world of these marvelous animals.

With specially commissioned illustrations by Bob Nicholls, “Dinosaur Behavior” explains how the dinosaurs lived and courted, fought and fed, signaled and interacted with each other, and much more.


What We Are Reading Today: ‘Orientalism’ by Edward Said

Photo/Supplied
Photo/Supplied
Updated 26 min 8 sec ago
Follow

What We Are Reading Today: ‘Orientalism’ by Edward Said

Photo/Supplied
  • This binary framing, Said argues, has historically shaped Western attitudes and policies toward the Middle East, Asia, and North Africa, with effects that persist today

Author: Edward Said

Edward Said’s “Orientalism” is a landmark work that reshaped the understanding of how the West perceives and portrays the East.

First published in 1978, the book is a critique of the constructed image of the “Orient” as an exotic, monolithic “other,” created by the West to assert cultural and political dominance.

Through a meticulous examination of literature, art, and academic scholarship, Said reveals how this distorted portrayal served to justify colonial rule and perpetuate stereotypes.

Central to Said’s argument is the idea that orientalism is not merely a scholarly discipline but a political and cultural discourse used to reinforce Western superiority. He illustrates how this discourse characterizes the East as irrational, backward, and static, contrasting it with a rational and progressive West.

This binary framing, Said argues, has historically shaped Western attitudes and policies toward the Middle East, Asia, and North Africa, with effects that persist today.

Said’s interdisciplinary approach draws on history, literature, and politics, making “Orientalism” a rich and provocative analysis. He sets out how even seemingly objective academic studies and media representations have reinforced reductive stereotypes, showing how power shapes knowledge. By doing so, he challenges readers to critically examine the narratives they encounter about the “East.”

Although “Orientalism” is deeply rooted in historical context, its relevance endures in contemporary discussions of cultural representation and global politics. It continues to resonate in a world where stereotypes and biases influence international relations and public perception.

Said’s writing is both rigorous and accessible, blending scholarly depth with a moral clarity that makes his arguments compelling. While the book’s density may challenge some readers, its insights are invaluable for understanding how cultural narratives are constructed and used to assert dominance.

Ultimately, “Orientalism” is a profound critique of the structures that perpetuate inequality and division. It remains an essential read for anyone seeking to understand the cultural legacies of imperialism and the enduring power of representation.

Said’s work is not only an academic achievement but also a call to rethink entrenched attitudes and strive for a more equitable understanding of cultural difference.