Russia pushed for a statement to the press by UN Security Council on Tuesday night, stating a one-sided ceasefire in Gaza .The United States, Germany and Britain objected, as the statement had no mention of the rockets fired at Israel from Gaza by Hamas ,nor did it state that Israel has the right to defend itself.
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During the discussion at the Security Council, US Ambassador Susan Rice said she did not receive instructions from US President Barack Obama as he is currently visiting Asia. Russian Ambassador Vitaly Churkin wasfurious with the US preventing a unanimous vote approving the UN statement, and cynically offered Rice to use his phone to contact Obama.
Home in Eshkol hit by rocket (Photo: Ze'ev Trachtman)
- The US preventive measures revolved around the argument that a UN Security Council statementwoukd disturb the ongoing efforts to reach a ceasefire agreement, in addition to conveying a massage to both China and Russia, which vetoed resolutions against Syrian President Bashar Assad .
Since last Thursday, the Arabs are pushing towards a ceasefire statement by the UN Security Council, while US and European countries are opposing it, rendering it as unacceptable.
IDF strike in Gaza (Photo: Gil Yohanan)
- Churkin said at the meeting that he intended to present a Russian proposition for restating negotiations between Israel and the Palestinians in order to bring about a ceasefire.
Morocco's ambassador, who presented the original draft on Thursday, sided by the Palestinian Authority's UN envoy Riyad Mansour ,said to reporters that in case a consent over the UN statement would not be reached, they would call for an open session at the UN Security Council.