Russia has urged the United Nations (UN) to impose sanctions on Israel for failing to comply with a resolution demanding a ceasefire in Gaza during Ramadan.
UN Security Council Resolution 2728, passed on March 25 during the Muslim holy month, called for an immediate halt to strikes and killings.
Since October 7, 2023, Israeli strikes have killed 34,000 Palestinians and the genocide is still underway despite calls from many international organisations and governments.
The resolution was approved by a vote of 14-0, with the United States abstaining due to the absence of a clause condemning Hamas. Despite the ceasefire demand, Israel continued its offensive in Gaza beyond Ramadan, prompting Russia’s objection at a UN Security Council meeting on Thursday.
Russian UN Ambassador Vasily Nebenzia expressed disappointment that the council did not enforce “mandatory” ceasefire engagement as stipulated by its mandate.
“Unfortunately, Israel is openly disregarding resolution 2728, with encouragement from the U.S., which hastily deemed this resolution ‘non-binding,'” Nebenzia stated.
Nebenzia emphasised that failure to implement mandatory Security Council resolutions should lead to sanctions against violators.
