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Ambassador urges U.N. Security Council to condemn Hamas, says Israel accepted U.S. ceasefire drafts that Hamas rejected
Summary
An ambassador told the Security Council it must adopt a ‘‘clear and unequivocal’’ resolution condemning Hamas and demanding the release of hostages; in response to journalists he said Israel accepted U.S. draft deals in May and August but "Hamas said no," and that Israel will pursue both military action and mediated negotiations.
An ambassador addressing the United Nations Security Council urged the body to adopt a "clear and unequivocal resolution" condemning Hamas, designating it a terrorist organization and demanding the release of hostages held in Gaza.
The ambassador opened by thanking delegations from the United States, the United Kingdom and France for calling the session and said the council has a "moral obligation" to act. He said the Council and the General Assembly have passed resolutions since Oct. 7 that did not name Hamas and called that omission unacceptable.
In a short question-and-answer period, Sherry Fichitsen of Bridal Agency asked about the status of hostage-deal and ceasefire talks and whether criticism of Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and domestic protests reflected genuine failure to pursue a deal. The ambassador said Israel is "a strong democracy that is allowed to demonstrate and to criticize the government," and added that responsibility for failed proposals lay with Hamas. "In May, the U.S. presented a draft agreement. We said yes. Hamas said no. In August, it happened again. The U.S. put another draft. We said yes. Hamas said no," he said.
A reporter identified as Shudakji of China Central Television expressed condolences for "the loss of 6 lives" and asked whether that incident would change the course of negotiations. The ambassador said Israel would continue both military operations and mediated negotiations "because we are determined to bring them back home," adding that Israel is not negotiating directly with Hamas but "through The US, Qatar, and Egypt." He also said, "Hamas . . . will not be in presence in the near future. We are moving. We are achieving our goals. But at the same time, we cannot leave behind the hostages."
The remarks in the transcript focus on urging the Security Council to adopt a resolution that explicitly names and condemns Hamas and on the ambassador’s account that Israel accepted U.S. draft proposals that Hamas rejected. The excerpt does not record any formal vote or adopted Council resolution.
