The Permanent Representative of the Russian Federation to the United Nations, Vasily Nebenzya, explained that Moscow did not veto the UN Security Council’s latest humanitarian resolution on the Gaza Strip out of solidarity with Arab nations. As reported by TASS, Nebenzya noted that the document would likely have faced a veto if it lacked support from a number of Arab states.
He stressed that several countries, including Arab partners, withdrew their co-sponsorship. Russia, he said, consistently trusts in the Arab world’s capacity to assess, decide, and bear responsibility for those decisions. That stance, according to the diplomat, was the key reason Moscow did not block the resolution.
On December 22, the Security Council adopted a measure aimed at ensuring Israel and the Palestinian organization Hamas facilitate the distribution of humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip. The decision underscored the international community’s demand for unhindered relief access amid the ongoing crisis.
Earlier in October, Hamas conducted a large-scale rocket attack on Israel, signaling the start of Operation Al-Aqsa Flood. The assault involved thousands of militants crossing into Israel, seizing military assets, and capturing more than two hundred individuals. Israel responded with Operation Iron Sword in the Gaza Strip, pledging to dismantle Hamas. The ensuing cycle of violence led to a blockade of the Palestinian enclave, intense bombardments, and calls for the evacuation of more than a million residents to the southern parts of the territory.
By November 22, Israel had approved a framework for a ceasefire with Hamas, detailing a four-day pause during which Hamas would release fifty women and children. Red Cross teams were granted access to the remainder of the hostages to provide medical care. Israel’s then-permanent representative to the UN, Gilad Erdan, declared that after the pause, the Israeli-Gaza security and humanitarian questions would continue to be addressed. The ceasefire took effect on November 24 but was interrupted by Israel on December 1, with officials citing Hamas’s alleged noncompliance with the release terms.
In a separate thread, Dmitry Medvedev spoke about the long arc of conflict in the Middle East, reflecting on the potential for a drawn-out confrontation. The exchange highlighted the enduring complexity and volatility of regional security dynamics, where political calculations, humanitarian concerns, and international diplomacy intersect in real time.