By Nour Abu Aisha

GAZA CITY, Palestine

Hamas on Thursday hailed Kuwait’s role in thwarting a U.S.-proposed UN Security Council draft resolution regarding rockets fired at Israel from the blockaded Gaza Strip.

“We deeply appreciate Kuwait’s role in foiling the U.S.-proposed UNSC draft resolution that would have condemned the Palestinian people’s legitimate right to self-defense,” Hamas said in a statement.

According to the resistance group, the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump had sought to use the draft resolution to “mask the crimes of the [Israeli] occupation against the Palestinian people in Gaza”.

Hamas also hailed the position of Russia, which, the group said, had “stood up for the Palestinians in the face of U.S. bias and unjust Israeli aggression”.

Hamas went on to accuse the U.S. administration of being “totally biased towards the Israeli occupation, which encourages the latter to commit further violence and terrorism against the Palestinian people”.

The group called on the UNSC -- and other international organizations -- to “step up efforts to hold the Israeli occupation accountable for its crimes… and support the right of the Palestinian people to freedom and independence”.

Diplomatic sources at the UN told Anadolu Agency on Wednesday that the U.S.-proposed draft resolution had condemned the launch of rockets at Israel by Gaza-based resistance groups.

Late Wednesday, however, Kuwait -- which currently sits on the UNSC as a non-permanent member -- blocked the text of the draft in its current form.

Tension has mounted in the Palestinian territories since last December, when Trump announced his decision to recognize Jerusalem as Israel’s capital.

On May 14, the U.S. relocated its Israel embassy from Tel Aviv to Jerusalem, drawing condemnation from across the Arab and Muslim world and enflaming passions in the Palestinian territories.

Since March 30, at least 118 Palestinians have been killed -- and thousands more injured -- by Israeli army gunfire near the Gaza-Israel border fence.