Israel slams Jordanian-backed UN resolution that calls for ceasefire, doesn’t mention Hamas

Jordanian Foreign Minister Ayman Safadi, speaking at a session of the UN General Assembly on behalf of 22 Arab countries, accuses Israel of “making Gaza a perpetual hell on Earth.”

“The trauma will haunt generations to come,” he says, adding that “the right to self defense is not a license to kill with impunity. Collective punishment is not self defense, it is a war crime.”

Jordan has circulated a draft resolution that is still under discussion, which is meant to be put to vote tomorrow.

The text focuses largely on the humanitarian situation, calling for an “immediate ceasefire” and “unhindered humanitarian access” to the Gaza Strip. It also calls on all parties to comply with the “protection of civilians,” but makes no mention of the Hamas attack.

Israeli Ambassador to the UN Gilad Erdan blasts the text: “The drafters of the resolution claim to be concerned about peace,” he says. “Yet the depraved murderers who initiated this war are not even mentioned in the resolution. The only place this resolution belongs is in the dustbin of history.”