The influential intergovernmental organization met Wednesday in New York City where its members considered similarly worded competing resolutions -- one drafted by the United States and the other by Russia -- urging for a humanitarian halt in the fighting to allow urgently needed aid into Gaza.
The U.S.-drafted resolution was approved by 10 countries in the first vote, but was vetoed by both Russia and China.
Moscow's competing draft resolution was then approved by only four countries -- China, Gabon, the United Arab Emirates and, of course, Russia -- falling short of the nine needed for adoption.
Though similar, the competing resolutions diverged, with the U.S. draft calling for "humanitarian pauses" and the Russian draft calling for a "humanitarian ceasefire."
They also differ in that Russia's would have specifically urged Israel to rescind its ordered evacuation of north Gaza, while the U.S. draft would have reaffirmed a country's right to self-defense but that it must fully comply with its obligations under international law while exercising that right.
The United States had proposed its resolution on Saturday, and accused Russia of having put forward a last minute, "bad faith" draft that included zero consultation from other nations and "failed to reflect the realities on the ground."
"It is disappointing that Russia would rather try and score political points and further divide this council than address the current urgent needs of Israelis and Palestinians," U.S. Ambassador Robert Wood, alternative representative for Special Political Affairs, said in explanation of the U.S. vote against the Moscow resolution.
"We all see that Russia is doing nothing to engage any of the relevant parties or support diplomatic efforts -- including by the United Nations -- to get more aid into Gaza."
The competing resolutions were voted a week after the United States vetoed a Brazilian-led resolution that had garnered 12 votes.
U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield defended the veto following the vote last week by saying the Biden administration was involved in diplomatic actions that they needed to let "play out." She also expressed disappointment that the resolution did not reaffirm Israel's right to self-defense.
Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia, Russia's permanent representative to the U.N., rebutted during the debate that the United States were attempting to hush harsh criticism of its previous veto by putting forward a draft resolution that is "full of politicized, inappropriate and highly questionable provisions."
"It still contains no call for a ceasefire. It fails to condemn indiscriminate attacks on civilians and civil facilities in Gaza. It does not renounce acts aimed at forced displacement of civilians," he said.
"This document is politicized to the bone."
In her speech to the council, Thomas-Greenfield defended her resolution, saying it was built upon consultation with all member nations, including Russia, and humanitarian organizations.
"The United States was not interested in putting forward a resolution just to put forward a resolution. We were determined to craft a resolution that would enjoy broad support," she said. "That would reflect the facts on the ground."
The vote was held as Israel continues to wage war against Hamas in Gaza, a conflict that began Oct. 7, when the militant group launched a surprise attack from the Palestinian enclave, killing more than 1,400 Israeli sand kidnapping another 220.
In response, the Israeli army has been incessantly bombing Gaza as it seeks to wipe out Hamas, resulting in a death toll that increases daily and has reached 6,546 Palestinians dead, more than 2,700 of which are children, as of Wednesday.
The council earlier this month first failed to pass a Russia-drafted resolution on the Israel war that received criticism for failing to condemn Hamas. Thomas-Greenfield described the omission as "Russia giving cover to a terrorist group that brutalizes innocent civilians."
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