Russian Ambassador to the United Nations Vasily Nebenzya talks before a vote during a Security Council meeting at the United Nations headquarters. AP
Vassily Nebenzia got support from the UN deputy spokesman, Farhan Haq, and both pointed to Article 25 of the United Nations Charter, its founding document, which says all members of the 193-nation organization “agree to accept and carry out the decisions of the Security Council.”
Nebenzia quoted US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, who said, “We fully support some of the objectives in this nonbinding resolution.”
Her comments to the council came shortly after the cease-fire resolution was adopted 14-0, with the United States abstaining.
Nebenzia also cited US National Security Council spokesman John Kirby who said: “It’s a nonbinding resolution. So, there’s no impact at all on Israel and Israel’s ability to continue to go after Hamas.”
The Russian ambassador told the council’s monthly Mideast meeting that the US, one of the five veto-wielding permanent members of the Security Council, “has essentially openly stated that it does not accept the Charter of our organization, disavowing the hard-won fruits of discussions in the council, and including the hard-won and historic resolution on a cease-fire in Gaza.”
Israel now has “complete carte blanche and is not planning to stop until it razes Gaza to the ground” with Washington's blessing and despite a demand from the Security Council, Nebenzia said.
Haq, the deputy UN spokesman, told reporters Monday that, “All Security Council resolutions are international law.” On Tuesday, he held up the UN Charter saying the UN stands by Article 25.
As for implementation of the resolution, which also demanded the release of all Israeli captives seized on Oct. 7, Haq said implementing resolutions “takes time.”
“The enforcement of resolutions is something that is ultimately up to the international community as a whole,” Haq said.
* This story was edited by Ahram Online.
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