The United States does not want to constrain Israel’s military actions in Gaza, Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov said in an interview with RT on Wednesday.
When asked to comment on why he believed the US vetoed Russia’s resolutions in the UN seeking to stop the hostilities in the Palestinian enclave, Lavrov suggested that Washington “is highly ideologized.”
“Anything coming from Russia is taken as a hostile act… But on substance, and on practical terms, Washington does not want to tie Israel’s hands,” he said.
Lavrov pointed out that such an approach works with Tel Aviv, adding that the US tried to persuade Israel to be “a little flexible” on supplies of humanitarian assistance to hospitals in the besieged enclave, as well as on letting foreigners out.
Gaza’s government media office warned on Wednesday of a potential massacre at Al-Shifa Hospital after Israeli soldiers stormed the medical complex early Wednesday.https://t.co/xcASIoI4kK pic.twitter.com/YVUmnfhrLC
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) November 15, 2023
The first Russian-sponsored resolution on the Israeli aggression on Gaza, which was proposed one week after the beginning of the war on October 7, called for an immediate ceasefire. The document was blocked by the US, UK, France – permanent members of the UN Security Council – and Japan.
Later the same month, Moscow floated another iteration of the resolution that repeated the calls for a sustainable humanitarian ceasefire and the creation of humanitarian corridors but also incorporated some points from the US-sponsored document. Still, Washington, along with London, vetoed the initiative.
After the start of hostilities, many Western media outlets reported that the US was trying to persuade Israel to delay its ground operation in Gaza to allow more time for hostage negotiations. However, Israel proceeded with the incursion into the enclave in late October.
Dozens of Palestinians were killed on Wednesday morning, and many others were injured, as a result of a series of raids carried out by Israeli warplanes in several areas of the besieged Gaza Strip.https://t.co/jkGR5TWOZQ pic.twitter.com/uihUj6OXTK
— The Palestine Chronicle (@PalestineChron) November 15, 2023
According to the Palestinian Ministry of Health, Israel has, thus far, killed over 11,360 Palestinians, including 4,609 children and 3,100 women. The number of wounded has reached 28,200.
The Israeli army continues to pound civilian homes throughout the Gaza Strip with new massacres reported everywhere in the besieged enclave.
Gaza has been under a tight Israeli military siege since 2007, following a democratic election in occupied Palestine, the results of which were rejected by Tel Aviv and Washington.
(RT, PC)
