Hamas on Friday criticized a UN Security Council resolution which called for a truce in order to bring in more humanitarian aid into the Gaza Strip, Reuters reported.
In a statement, the terrorist organization claimed the resolution was an "insufficient step".
"During the past five days, the US administration has worked hard to empty this resolution of its essence, and to issue it in this weak formula... it defies the will of the international community and the United Nations General Assembly in stopping Israel's aggression against our defenseless Palestinian people," the Hamas statement said.
Riyad Mansour, The Palestinian Authority’s representative to the UN, said the Security Council resolution was “a step in the right direction,” but called for an immediate ceasefire.
“This resolution is a step in the right direction — it must be implemented and must be accompanied by massive pressure for an immediate ceasefire. I repeat, immediate ceasefire,” he said.
The resolution, which was voted upon after several postponements, was approved by a vote of 13 to zero. Both the United States and Russia abstained.
That resolution had called for an "immediate humanitarian ceasefire" in the Gaza Strip, but Israel, backed by the United States has opposed the use of the term "ceasefire."
On Thursday night, the US indicated it could now support the proposal after securing changes it sought to its wording, though it ultimately abstained.
Israel’s Ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, criticized the UN Security Council after it approved the resolution calling for a truce in Gaza while again failing to condemn Hamas’ October 7 attack against Israel.
“I thank President Joe Biden, Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield and the US Mission to the UN for standing on Israel's side throughout the negotiations on the UN Security Council resolution and maintaining defined red lines. The resolution maintains Israel's security authority to monitor and inspect aid entering Gaza,” said Erdan.
“It must not be ignored that the Security Council as a body has not yet condemned the October 7 massacre. This is a disgrace. The UN's focus only on the aid mechanisms for Gaza is unnecessary and disconnected from reality - Israel, in any case, allows the entry of aid on any necessary scale,” he added.
“The UN should have focused on the humanitarian crisis of the hostages held in Gaza.”
“The failures of the UN in the last 17 years have allowed Hamas to dig terror tunnels and manufacture missiles and rockets. It is clear that the UN cannot be trusted to monitor the incoming aid to the Gaza Strip,” concluded Erdan.
(Israel National News' North American desk is keeping you updated until the start of Shabbat in New York. The time posted automatically on all Israel National News articles, however, is Israeli time.)