From the Liveblog of
Monday, October 16, 2023
US envoy pans Russia for not mentioning Hamas in UNSC resolution urging ceasefire
Add ToI as a Preferred Source on GoogleJacob Magid is The Times of Israel's US bureau chief
US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield blasts Russia for failing to even mention Hamas in the UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in the ongoing Gaza war.
“By failing to condemn Hamas, Russia is giving cover to a terrorist group that brutalizes innocent civilians. It is outrageous, it is hypocritical, and it is indefensible,” Thomas-Greenfield says in her speech to the Security Council explaining the US decision to vote against the resolution.
“We agree that this council should take action, but we have to get it right. And we’ll work intensively with all members on the council to do so,” the US ambassador says.
“The vast majority of families in Gaza are suffering through no fault of their own. As I have said, Hamas set the humanitarian crisis in Gaza in motion. And we cannot allow this council to unfairly shift the blame to Israel and excuse Hamas for its decades of cruelty. Period,” Thomas-Greenfield states.
“You cannot claim to stand with the Palestinians and their legitimate aspirations if you do not stand squarely against Hamas. Hamas does not stand for the Palestinian people’s rights to dignity and self-determination,” she adds.
The Times of Israel Community.