The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas condemns votes against Russian-drafted UNSC resolution calling for ceasefire

The Palestinian resistance movement Hamas has strongly criticized governments that voted against a Russian-drafted UN Security Council (UNSC) resolution calling for a humanitarian ceasefire amid Israel’s continued aggression against the Gaza Strip.

In a statement issued on Tuesday, Hamas said countries that rejected the draft resolution will be responsible for shedding the blood of people in Gaza.

The statement said voting against the draft resolution gives a green light to the Israeli regime to commit more crimes in Gaza and intensify the genocide being unfolded in the besieged Palestinian territory.

The Russian-drafted resolution failed to get the minimum nine votes needed to pass in the 15-member UNSC on Monday. Furthermore, for the Council to adopt a resolution, none of its five permanent members should oppose or cast a veto.

Four countries, including the US and the UK, voted against the draft resolution, while five, including China, Russia and the UAE, voted in favor and there were six abstentions.

The one-page draft text was proposed by Russia on Friday with the aim of working out a mechanism under which humanitarian aid can be delivered to Gaza, a small territory on the Mediterranean where 2.3 million people have been suffering for the past 10 days because of incessant bombing and shelling by the Israeli regime and Tel Aviv’s blockade.

The death toll from Israeli airstrikes on Gaza has risen to nearly 3,000, while more than 12,500 others have sustained various injuries in the coastal territory, according to Palestinian official news agency Wafa.