NEW YORK – The United States will “unquestionably veto” a UN draftresolution calling for the protection of Palestinians in Gaza and the WestBank, US Ambassador Nikki Haley said on the eve of a Security Council voteon Friday.
Haley described the text put forward by Kuwait on behalf of Arab countriesas a “grossly one-sided approach that is morally bankrupt and would onlyserve to undermine ongoing efforts toward peace between the Israelis andPalestinians.”
The vote is scheduled for 3:00 pm (1900 GMT) on Friday.
The United States circulated its own rival draft resolution blaming Hamasfor the recent flare-up in Gaza and demanding that Hamas and Islamic Jihad”cease all violent activity and provocative actions, including along theboundary fence”, according to the text seen by AFP.
It was unclear whether there would be a vote on the US text, which couldfail to garner enough support.
Kuwait presented its draft two weeks ago, initially calling for aninternational protection mission for the Palestinians as protests turnedviolent on the Israeli-Gaza border.
At least 122 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli fire in the unrestsince the end of March.
A final, watered-down version however urges “the consideration of measuresto guarantee the safety and protection” of Palestinian civilians andrequests a report from Secretary-General Antonio Guterres on a possible”international protection mechanism.”
“The United States will unquestionably veto Kuwait s draft resolution,”Haley said in a statement.
It would be the second time that Haley has resorted to US veto power toblock a UN measure on the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.
In December, Haley vetoed a measure that rejected President Donald Trump sdecision to move the US embassy to Jerusalem after all 14 other councilmembers supported it.
The council has been deadlocked for weeks over how to respond to theviolence in the Gaza Strip — even as a UN envoy warned this week that thecrisis could escalate into all-out war.
“The resolution calls on Israel to immediately cease its actions inself-defense, but makes no mention of Hamas aggressive actions againstIsraeli security forces and civilians,” Haley said in a statement.
She also delivered a blunt warning to European countries and other councilmembers that choosing to “vote in favor of this resolution will clarifytheir own lack of fitness to take part in any credible negotiations betweenthe two parties.”
The UN envoy for the Middle East, Nickolay Mladenov, this week warned theSecurity Council that Gaza was “close to the brink of war” following aserious escalation between Israel and Palestinian militants in theHamas-ruled enclave.
An exchange of fire on Tuesday and into the early hours of Wednesday beganwith a barrage of rocket and mortars into Israel from Gaza, promptingIsrael to respond with strikes on 65 militant sites in the Gaza Strip.
It was the worst flare-up since the 2014 war in Gaza.
Diplomats have said the Palestinians may turn to the UN General Assembly towin support for the measure if the vote fails at the Security Council asexpected.
A draft resolution requires nine votes to be adopted in the 15-membercouncil and no veto from the five permanent members — Britain, China,France, Russia and the United States.