UNSC failure in adopting resolution for ceasefire deeply troubling: Shehbaz

ISLAMABAD: Pakistan Muslim League-N (PML-N) President and former prime minister Shehbaz Sharif on Tuesday said the failure of the UN Security Council in adopting a resolution that called for a ceasefire on humanitarian grounds was not just disappointing but deeply troubling on so many levels.

“This callousness & sheer disregard for the lives of over two million Palestinians, as Israel continues with its war crimes, has put humanity to shame. A massive human tragedy is unfolding in Gaza where the people have run short of water, food, fuel and medical supplies,” Shehbaz Sharif tweeted.

The UN Security Council on Monday night failed to adopt a Russian resolution that would have called for a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza, which has been ravaged by 10 days of relentless Israel’s bombings following Hamas’ attacks on Israeli border towns.

The Russian-led draft resolution received five votes in favour (China, Gabon, Mozambique, Russia, and the United Arab Emirates) and four against (France, Japan, the United Kingdom, and the United States), with six abstentions (Albania, Brazil, Ecuador, Ghana, Malta, and Switzerland).

For the 15-member Council to adopt a resolution, the proposal must receive at least nine votes in favour, with none of its five permanent members opposing or casting a veto. The draft text had called for a humanitarian ceasefire, release of all hostages, aid access, and safe evacuation of civilians. The United States and its allies opposed the Russian resolution as it did not specifically condemn the attacks by Hamas that reportedly killed over a 1,000 Israelis.