Hamas has slammed the US for using its veto power at the UN Security Council to block a Palestinian bid for full UN membership, the French news agency AFP reports.

“Hamas condemns the American veto at the Security Council of the draft resolution granting Palestine full membership in the United Nations,” Hamas said in a statement.

• The veto by Israel’s main ally and military backer had been expected ahead of the vote, which took place more than six months into Israel’s offensive in Gaza, in retaliation for the deadly October 7 attack by Hamas militants.

Twelve countries had voted in favour of the draft resolution supporting Palestine, which was introduced by Algeria, and had “recommends to the General Assembly that the State of Palestine be admitted to membership of the United Nations”.

The UK and Switzerland abstained from the vote.

Source: Al Jazeera

It’s easy to focus on the United States because they are the ones that raised their hand in the veto.

But it is very important, I think, to also point out there were 12 council members who voted in favour of Palestine being a full member.

And we heard from many of those, from Guyana to China, from France to Russia as well.

All of them laying out a case of why they were trying to vote for, or did vote for Palestine being a full UN member like 193 other nations.

It was to right a wrong and correct an injustice that has been for so many years now. So it is important to point that out.

• Also, you see countries like Japan, the Republic of Korea, Ecuador, which are strong US allies that often will abstain or vote with the United States. We saw those countries break from the US and vote for Palestine’s full membership here.

That is significant.

If this vote showed one thing, it really showed how isolated the US is on this very issue.

Source: Gabriel Elizondo – Al Jazeera