Russia asks United Nations to consider sanctioning Israel

The Ramadan ceasefire in Gaza was not implemented, Moscow’s envoy to the UN has said

Russia’s permanent representative to the UN Vasily Nebenzia has called on the United Nations to consider imposing sanctions on Israel over its non-compliance with obligatory resolutions passed by the Security Council.

He noted that UNSC Resolution 2728 demanded a ceasefire in Gaza during Ramadan, and this had not been implemented by Israel.

“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,” Nebenzia said on Thursday during a UN Security Council meeting.

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French Foreign Minister Stephane Sejourne also called for sanctions on Israel earlier this month. In February, Paris sanctioned 28 Israeli nationals, though the French government has not published their names.

The Hamas ceasefire resolution was adopted by the Security Council on March 25 in a vote of 14 in favor to none against, with the US abstaining. The document demanded a ceasefire in Gaza during Ramadan, the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages, and for humanitarian access to Gaza to be ensured.

The delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza is nearly impossible at the moment, Nebenzia said, pointing to data from the UN Office for the Coordination of Humanitarian Affairs, which demonstrates that the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) are currently blocking half of the humanitarian convoys heading to the region.

Earlier this month, Israel admitted that the IDF had mistakenly conducted a strike that the World Central Kitchen group said killed seven of the organization’s personnel – three British nationals, an Australian, a Palestinian, a Pole, and a US-Canadian.

Shortly after the US abstained on the UN Gaza ceasefire resolution, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu canceled a planned visit to Washington by a high-level delegation in protest over the move. He accused the White House of “retreating” from what he said had been a “principled position” by allowing the vote to pass without attaching conditions providing for the release of hostages held by Hamas.

Hamas raided nearby Israeli military bases and villages on October 7, killing more than 1,100 Israelis and taking over 200 hostage. Israel responded by declaring war on the group and invading Gaza. The military operation has reduced much of the enclave to rubble, claiming the lives of more than 33,000 Palestinians over the past six months, according to local authorities.

A weeklong truce deal reached in late November saw 105 hostages freed in exchange for 240 Palestinian prisoners.

On Wednesday, Qatari Prime Minister Sheikh Mohammed bin Abdulrahman Al-Thani said negotiations stalled between Israel and Hamas to secure a truce in Gaza and a release of more hostages.