US, Israel urge UN Security Council condemnation of Hamas assault on Israel

The United States on Sunday led calls for condemnation of a Hamas assault on Israel as the United Nations Security Council opened an emergency session on the crisis.

“I expect to hear from the other Council members very strong condemnation of these heinous acts of terrorism committed against the Israeli people and their government,” senior US diplomat Robert Wood told reporters as he entered the closed-door session.

Brazil, which holds the Security Council’s rotating presidency, called the meeting after Hamas on Saturday launched a massive surprise attack, with the death toll a day later surpassing 1,000.

A closed-door session would not bring a formal resolution, but diplomats said that talks on even reaching a non-binding statement were difficult.

China said it would support a statement.

“We condemn all attacks against civilians,” Ambassador Zhang Jun said, while adding that China also wanted a return to the Middle East peace process.

Israel’s ambassador, Gilad Erdan, showed graphic pictures of Israeli civilians being taken captive by Hamas.

“These are war crimes — blatant, documented war crimes,” Erdan said.

“This unimaginable — unimaginable — atrocity must be condemned,” he said of the Security Council.

“Israel must be given steadfast support to defend ourselves — to defend the free world.”

The Palestinian ambassador — who represents the West Bank-centered Palestinian Authority and not rival Hamas — called on the Security Council to focus on ending Israeli occupation.

“Regrettably, history for some media and politicians starts when Israelis are killed,” said the envoy, Riyad Mansour.

“This is not a time to let Israel double-down on its terrible choices. This is a time to tell Israel it needs to change course, that there is a path to peace where neither Palestinians nor Israelis are killed.”