U.S. Amb. to U.N.: We 'Really Stretched Beyond' Previous Position with Ceasefire Resolution

On Friday's broadcast of MSNBC's “Andrea Mitchell Reports,” U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield stated that she was disappointed that the resolution put forward by the U.S. before the U.N. Security Council that called for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas with the release of all the hostages held by Hamas and said that the resolution “was a resolution that really stretched beyond what we had done previously.”

Thomas-Greenfield said, “We were disappointed, Andrea. We felt that we put a strong resolution on the table. And it was a resolution that really stretched beyond what we had done previously. We had eleven countries support that resolution. That resolution called for an immediate ceasefire with the release of the hostages and the provision of additional humanitarian assistance to address the needs — the dire needs of the Palestinian people. There was no reason for Russia or China to veto that resolution. So, again, I'm feeling extraordinarily disappointed that, once again, the Council failed to act.”

She added, “Look, the president has been very clear in our support for Israel's right to self-defense. But also, very clear in his message to [Prime Minister] Netanyahu that he has to take into account how his actions will impact civilians on the ground in Rafah. So, we saw this resolution as providing an opening for a ceasefire that supports the current negotiations that are taking place on the ground, provides a path to get additional humanitarian assistance in, and certainly supports the immediate release of hostages, who are also living under extraordinarily difficult circumstances in the hands of Hamas.”

Follow Ian Hanchett on Twitter @IanHanchett

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