The British delegate to the United Nations, Barbara Woodward, expressed her country’s regret that the UN Security Council was unable to reach a consensus on the situation in Gaza, after the United States on Wednesday used its veto power against a draft resolution calling for a ceasefire in the Strip.
“We voted yes on the Security Council resolution on Gaza and will continue to seek an end to the war,” Woodward said, stressing that Israel must take urgent measures to alleviate the crisis in Gaza.
The British delegate stressed that the deterioration of the humanitarian situation in the Strip is “catastrophic and unacceptable,” and that all of Gaza is at risk of famine, and in some areas its occurrence is likely to be imminent, pointing out that the aid reaching civilians is insufficient to mitigate the disaster.
The Security Council draft resolution, which was supported by 14 countries and opposed only by the United States, called for an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire that “must be respected by all parties”, the release of detainees and the exchange of prisoners.
The draft resolution also rejects any action that leads to starvation of the Palestinians, and demands facilitating the full, rapid, safe and unhindered entry of humanitarian aid on a large scale into Gaza in all its regions, especially the northern Gaza Strip.
The draft resolution calls on all parties to fully comply with international law, including international humanitarian law, and its provisions relating to the protection of civilians, especially women, children and persons hors de combat, as well as its provisions relating to the protection of civilian objects.
This comes as Israel has continued its devastating war on Gaza since October 7, 2023, leaving more than 148,000 martyrs and wounded, most of them children and women, and more than 10,000 missing, amid massive destruction and worsening famine looming over the besieged Strip.