BRUSSELS
\nFrench President Emmanuel Macron vowed on Friday to keep pressing for a Gaza ceasefire at the UN Security Council, moments after China and Russia vetoed a US-backed draft resolution.
\n\u201cThe Security Council must call for an immediate ceasefire and humanitarian access,\u201d Macron told reporters in Brussels, promising to resume work on an alternative French resolution \u201calong with our US, European and Arab partners.\u201d
\nThe United States, Israel\u2019s main ally, which has vetoed previous ceasefire calls, had put forward its own resolution.
\nFor the first time the US supported \u201cthe imperative of an immediate and sustained ceasefire,\u201d as well as condemning the October 7 attack by Hamas.
\nBut Russia and China exercised their vetoes, while Algeria also voted against and Guyana abstained. The other 11 Security Council members voted in favor, including permanent members France and Britain.
\nMacron said he believed Paris was in a position to build a consensus \u2014 now that it could count on Washington\u2019s backing.
\n\u201cWhat\u2019s important to note is that the United States has changed its position, and shown its will to defend, very clearly now, a ceasefire,\u201d Macron said.
\n\u201cFor a long time, the Americans were reticent. That reticence is now gone. There is an alignment on the basis of our text,\u201d Macron said.
\nFrance has been working on its proposal with Jordan, the United Arab Emirates and several other European countries, he said. He was hopeful its diplomatic outreach in the region \u201cmay persuade China and Russia not to use their veto.\u201d
\nMore than 1,160 people, mostly civilians, died on October 7 when militants infiltrated Israel in the country\u2019s deadliest ever attack, according to Israeli official figures.
\nIsrael vowed to eradicate Hamas, which controls the Gaza Strip. Some 32,000 people, mostly civilians, have died, according to the Gaza health ministry, and the United Nations has warned of imminent famine in the territory.<\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"
BRUSSELS French President Emmanuel Macron vowed on Friday to keep pressing for a Gaza ceasefire at the UN Security Council, moments after China and Russia vetoed a US-backed draft resolution. \u201cThe Security Council must call for an immediate ceasefire and humanitarian access,\u201d Macron told reporters in Brussels, promising to resume work on an alternative French […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":2,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[6],"tags":[],"class_list":{"0":"post-395699","1":"post","2":"type-post","3":"status-publish","4":"format-standard","6":"category-world"},"yoast_head":"\n