US prevents Security Council statement holding Israel responsible for Al-Rashid Street massacre

The United Nations (UN) Security Council failed at dawn on Friday to adopt a presidential statement expressing its “deep concern” about the massacre committed by the Israeli occupation forces on Al-Rasheed Street in Gaza City against citizens who were waiting for aid trucks to arrive, killing and injuring hundreds.

The Council held a closed session, at the request of Algeria, regarding the recent developments in the Gaza Strip following the Al-Rashid Street massacre.

Algeria presented to the Council table a draft presidential statement in which the 15 members of the Security Council expressed their “deep concern” about the massacre and held the Israeli occupation forces that opened fire on thousands of unarmed civilians who were waiting for aid trucks to arrive responsible for its actions.

However, the text was not passed because presidential statements can only be approved unanimously, and in this case, 14 members supported the text while the US opposed it.

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A diplomatic source told Agence France-Presse that the US voted against the text because it refused to hold Israel responsible.

The source explained that discussions in the corridors of the Security Council will continue in an attempt to reach a formula that receives the required consensus.

In turn, the Permanent Observer of Palestine to the UN Ambassador Riyad Mansour called for the issuance of a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire.

Mansour told reporters after the session: “This brutal massacre is evidence that as long as the Security Council is paralysed and the veto is imposed, the Palestinians are paying with their lives.”

The US used its veto power last week for the third time to block a draft resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

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