Russia is urging the United Nations (U.N.) to sanction Israel for failing to comply with a resolution that demanded a Gaza cease-fire during Ramadan.
U.N. Security Council Resolution 2728, which was passed by the council amid the Muslim holy month on March 25, called for an immediate halt to the hostilities, which began following the October 7 surprise attack by Hamas.
The resolution was passed by a 14-0 vote, with the United States abstaining over the omission of a clause condemning Hamas. Israel ignored the cease-fire demand, continuing its assault on Gaza through the end of Ramadan on April 9 and beyond.
Russia, which remains buried under an avalanche of its own international sanctions due to the ongoing invasion of Ukraine, objected to the lack of punishment for Israel during a U.N. Security Council meeting on Thursday.
Vasily Nebenzia, Russia's permanent representative to the U.N., lamented that the security council had not "demanded, as per its mandate, for the parties to immediately engage in a ceasefire."
"Unfortunately, Israel is openly ignoring resolution 2728, with the U.S. as an encouragement," Nebenzia said. "[The U.S.] actually rushed to call this security council resolution 'non-binding.'"
"If the resolution isn't implemented, the security council is within its rights to impose sanctions on those who violate and sabotage its decisions," he added.
Russian state-run news outlet RT reported that Nebenzia also said the following during the meeting: "We remind you once again that non-compliance with mandatory security council resolutions must lead to sanctions against violators. We believe that the council should consider this issue without delay."
Newsweek reached out for comment to the Embassy of Israel in Washington, D.C., via email on Thursday.
Much of the security council meeting on Thursday focused on a resolution to grant the state of Palestine full U.N. membership, which was expected to be voted on by the end of the week. The Palestinian state currently has observer status in the U.N.
While Nebenzia and others at the security council meeting argued in favor of the resolution, its chances for passing looked slim, as the U.S. is expected to exercise its veto power to block it.
U.S. Deputy U.N. Ambassador Robert Wood argued that allowing the resolution to pass would hinder "negotiation between Israel and the Palestinians" and a "two-state solution," according to the Associated Press.
Israeli Ambassador to the U.N. Gilad Erdan reportedly reacted to the possibility of full Palestinian U.N. membership with outrage.
"If the security council recommends full membership for the Palestinian Authority that incites and funds terror with no control over its territory, it deserves to be called the U.N.'s "terror council,'" Erdan said, according to Israel Hayom.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
About the writer
Aila Slisco is a Newsweek night reporter based in New York. Her focus is on reporting national politics, where she ... Read more
To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.
