Editorial: The UN resolution vote against Israel is a worrying development

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has called for a ceasefire in Gaza during Ramadan.

The Muslim holy month has been under way for the last two weeks and has another fortnight to run.​

It is the first UNSC call for a ceasefire to be passed after the UK supported the motion and the US declined to veto it.

The resolution only has temporary effect but nonetheless has a number of troubling aspects.

The first is that even London is now talking about Palestinian casualties as if they are verified, which they have never been. Any data that comes out of Gaza is ultimately under the oversight of Hamas, which as well as being genocidal in intent and mass murderous in action is ruthless at lies and propaganda, as well as using hospitals to disguise its terrorism.

Another worrying aspect is the context of a United Nations that denounced the terrorist attack in Moscow, which was also by Islamic extremists, but has yet to condemn the calculated and savage wide ranging slaughter of Israeli citizens on October 7.

The UK was right to pause funding for the UN agency for Palestinian refugees, UNRWA, after some of its staff were sacked over allegations they were involved in the 7 October Hamas attacks.

The UK and America have been the most important supporters of Israel since the October onslaught. Now they seem to be wavering in the face of global protests and pressure and propaganda.

Israel does of course have a duty to act with some degree of proportionality, but it also has a right not merely to defend itself but to try to eliminate Hamas insofar as is feasible.

Calls for a ceasefire are often code for calls for Israel to surrender to its fanatical enemies.