Permanent Representative of China to the United Nations Zhang Jun expressed his country's strong disappointment at and dissatisfaction with the US veto on a Security Council draft resolution that would have demanded an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza.
The draft resolution won 13 votes in favor among the 15 members of the Security Council. Britain abstained.
"The outcome of today's vote clearly shows that on the issue of a ceasefire to halt the fight in Gaza, it is not that the Security Council does not have an overwhelming consensus, but rather it is the exercise of veto by the United States that stifles the council consensus," China's news agency (Xinhua) quoted Zhang as saying.
The US claim that a resolution would interfere with the ongoing diplomatic efforts is totally untenable. Given the situation on the ground, the continued passive avoidance of an immediate ceasefire is nothing different from giving the green light to the continued slaughter, he said.
The US veto sends a wrong message, pushing the situation in Gaza into a more dangerous one, said Zhang.
The Security Council must take action to push for a ceasefire, he said, adding that this should not be a matter of debate, but rather a moral obligation that the council cannot shy away from. (QNA)
