Biden says Israel is not responsible for Gaza hospital explosion
President Biden held a brief press conference with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, where the U.S. president said Israel was not responsible for a rocket attack on a hospital in Gaza that left 500 people dead.
The United Nations Security Council is expected to vote on a resolution Wednesday that will condemn "the heinous terrorist attacks by Hamas" on Israel as well as all violence against civilians. The resolution also calls for "humanitarian pauses" to deliver desperately needed aid to millions of people who have been displaced in Gaza.
Brazil holds the Security Council presidency this month and sponsored the Hamas-condemning resolution. Final edits on the resolution continued throughout Tuesday.
The vote comes after the council rejected a Russian-drafted resolution Monday evening that condemned violence and terrorism against civilians and called for a "humanitarian cease-fire" without specifically mentioning Hamas.
Russia is attempting to amend the Brazil resolution and has proposed two amendments that will be voted on first: One calls for a "humanitarian cease-fire" and the other would condemn indiscriminate attacks on civilians and assaults on "civilian objects" in Gaza like hospitals and schools.
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Palestinian U.N. ambassador Riyad Mansour, background right, addresses members of the U.N. Security Council at United Nations headquarters Monday, Oct. 16, 2023. (AP Photo/Craig Ruttle)
Brazil said the vote on Wednesday would be followed by an emergency meeting to discuss Tuesday's explosion and fire at a Gaza City hospital, which left hundreds dead. Russia, the United Arab Emirates and China called for an emergency session.
The Hamas-run health ministry said at least 500 people died and Hamas blames Israel, saying an Israeli airstrike struck the hospital. Israel disputed the cause, saying their investigation found a misfired rocket by the Palestinian militant group Islamic Jihad hit the hospital. Islamic Jihad has denied any involvement.
US President Joe Biden (L) meets with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Tel Aviv on October 18, 2023, amid the ongoing battles between Israel and the Palestinian group Hamas. (BRENDAN SMIALOWSKI/AFP via Getty Images)
On Wednesday, President Biden landed in Israel and said the Israeli military was not responsible for the attack.
The Security Council remains divided since Russia invaded Ukraine in February 2022, and whether its five veto-wielding permanent members — the United States, Russia, China, Britain and France — would support the Brazil resolution or abstain in the vote remained to be seen.
Smoke plumes billow after an explosion during Israeli bombardment in Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip on October 18, 2023. A blast ripped through a hospital in war-torn Gaza killing hundreds of people late on October 17, sparking global condemnation and angry protests around the Muslim world. (SAID KHATIB/AFP via Getty Images)
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To be adopted, a resolution needs at least nine of the 15 council members to vote "yes" and no veto by a permanent member.
The council vote will occur amid frantic diplomatic efforts to prevent the Israeli-Hamas conflict from spreading into surrounding countries.
The Associated Press contributed to this report.
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