Majority of nations oppose IOF actions in Gaza: Pal. Amb to Vienna
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Salah Abdel-Shafi, the Palestinian Ambassador to Vienna, explains that the UN vote for a ceasefire in Gaza was already proof of all the nations that reject the atrocities committed in Gaza by "Israel".
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A UN Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East, and the Israeli aggression on Gaza at the United Nations headquarters on November 29, 2023, in New York City. (AP)
In an interview with RIA Novosti, Palestinian Ambassador to Vienna Salah Abdel-Shafi affirmed that the majority of countries oppose the actions of the Israeli occupation forces (IOF) in Gaza, as proven by the last United Nations vote.
"The UN vote had already taken place on Monday last week, everything was clear: 153 countries voted for a final cessation of fire. And only 10 countries, including Austria, voted against, another 23 states abstained. Obviously, the vast majority of countries in the world clearly oppose the actions of the Israeli army," Abdel-Shafi stated.
"... on the global stage," he said, "it is the Russian Federation, China, but also some European states such as Spain, Belgium, Luxembourg, Ireland, Norway - all countries that are in favor of a permanent ceasefire. Not only for a humanitarian pause, but also for a full cessation of fire. These are the countries that openly criticize the Israeli army."
10 K Pal. civilians murdered, 25 K injured. The #Israeli #Genoside in #Gaza continues. No one in the #Austrian government, not a single member of the #Austrian parliament, dared to express empathy or human feelings for Palestinian victims. Any logical explanation?
— Salah Abdel Shafi (@SalahAbdelShafi) November 5, 2023
Abdel-Shafi added that the opposing countries "include African countries, Namibia, South Africa, certainly, Arab states, but also countries in Latin America, such as Colombia, Venezuela, Cuba, Nicaragua, Chile, Bolivia".
According to the diplomat, some countries even took practical steps like ending diplomatic relations with the occupation and expelling Israeli ambassadors.
"For example, Bolivia and Colombia terminated their diplomatic relations with Israel. Argentina recalled its ambassador from Israel and expelled the Israeli one. South Africa did the same," he continued.
Dodging vetoes
The planned vote on a resolution urging a halt to the fighting in Gaza was postponed by the UN Security Council for a third time this week, and the vote is set to be revisited on Thursday.
In an attempt to prevent a veto from the United States, world powers agreed to delay the vote while altering the resolution's language. The contentious text centered around a call for a cessation of hostilities and the establishment of a UN mechanism for monitoring aid delivery, according to diplomats familiar with the matter.
This impasse highlighted the United States' isolation on the global stage, with foreign diplomats indicating that if a compromise was not reached soon, the resolution would proceed to a vote. The ongoing intense negotiations and delays aim to avert another US veto in the influential UN body.
Earlier this month, the United States utilized its veto power to block a Security Council resolution that called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza. Additionally, the US was among a few countries opposing a similar resolution in the General Assembly, despite its overwhelming adoption.
Thirteen Security Council members voted in favor of a brief draft resolution, presented through the UAE, in which Britain abstained.
