Russia says US Gaza resolution recalls ‘colonial practices’ in Palestine

Russia’s UN ambassador, Vassily Nebenzia, explained his country’s abstention from the US-backed Gaza resolution, criticising it for sidelining Palestinian participation and accusing Washington of acting in “bad faith”.

“The main thing is that this document shouldn’t become a fig leaf for unbridled experiments conducted by the US in Israel, in the occupied Palestinian territory,” Nebenzia said.

He raised concerns that the resolution failed to clarify how the International Stabilisation Force (ISF) would cooperate with the Palestinian Authority. Under the plan, he said, the force “would appear to be able to act absolutely autonomously without any regard for the position nor the opinion of Ramallah”.

“This may entrench the separation of the Gaza Strip from the West Bank. It is reminiscent of colonial practices and the League of Nations British Mandate for Palestine when the opinion of Palestinians themselves was not taken into account,” the Russian envoy told the council.

He also questioned the force’s mandate, asking whether its “peace enforcement tasks” could turn it into a party to the conflict rather than a neutral peacekeeping operation.