Russia accused the United States of being the sole cause of violence in the Middle East following the country's decision to veto a United Nations resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.
"Washington has once again rejected the possibility of stopping the horrific bloodshed in Gaza, which has already killed 44,000 Palestinians and injured 104,000, most of them women and children," the Russian Ministry for Foreign Affairs said on Thursday, citing the most recent casualty statistics from the Gaza Health Ministry.
On Wednesday, the U.S. voted to strike down a resolution demanding an end to the hostilities, which urged both parties to pursue a "permanent ceasefire," the return of "all hostages," and for Israel to ensure access to "basic services and humanitarian assistance" for those in Gaza.
The UN Security Council, which comprises 10 non-permanent alongside five permanent members, voted 14-1 in favor of the resolution, but the U.S. veto blocked its adoption.
"Such a vote speaks for itself," the Russian Foreign Ministry said. "There are no illusions or doubts that it is the actions of the United States that are the main and, in fact, the only reason for the escalation of violence and the suffering of millions of civilians in the Middle East and other regions of the world."
Newsweek reached out to the U.S. Mission to the United Nations for comment.
The resolution, sponsored by the ten non-permanent members of the Security Council, demanded "an immediate, unconditional, and permanent ceasefire to be respected by all parties." The draft text also reiterated the Security Council's demand for "the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages."
However, the U.S. alternate ambassador to the U.N., Robert Wood, said that the U.S. "could not support an unconditional ceasefire that failed to release the hostages," citing this as the reason for the veto decision.
"Because, as this Council has previously called for, a durable end to the war must come with the release of the hostages," Wood said during the session in New York. "These two urgent goals are inextricably linked."
Wood added that adopting the resolution would have "sent a dangerous message to Hamas," which would have seen this as "a vindication of its cynical strategy, to hope and pray the international community forgets about the fate of more than 100 hostages."
"Russia will continue its active efforts at the UN Security Council and other international venues in favor of an immediate ceasefire," the Russian Foreign Ministry said, "preventing further expansion of confrontation, and achieving lasting and lasting peace and security in the Arab-Israeli conflict zone on a universally recognized international legal basis."
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