US vetoes UN Security Council draft resolution demanding immediate Gaza ceasefire
The draft resolution, tabled by the 10 elected members of the Security Council, won the support of 14 out of the 15 members of the council.
The United States on Wednesday vetoed a Security Council draft resolution that would have demanded an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and the immediate lifting of all restrictions on humanitarian aid.
The draft resolution, tabled by the 10 elected members of the Security Council, won the support of 14 out of the 15 members of the council.
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The United States, which holds veto power, voted against it.
The draft resolution would have demanded the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages held by Hamas and other groups, and the immediate and unconditional lifting of all restrictions on the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza and its safe and unhindered distribution at scale.
The US veto drew criticism from Security Council members.
Fu Cong, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, said China is deeply disappointed at the result of Wednesday's vote.
The draft resolution contains the most pressing demands of the people in Gaza and reflects the overwhelming voice of the international community, he said.
"The United States has once again abused its veto power, extinguishing the glimmer of hope for the people in Gaza and ruthlessly continuing to leave over 2 million people in darkness. It must face the questioning from the international community," he said.
"Wednesday's vote result once again exposes that the root cause of the Security Council's inability to quell the conflict in Gaza is the repeated obstruction by the United States, which has vetoed the council's request for a ceasefire multiple times. And because of its shielding of Israel, several resolutions adopted by the council have not been effectively implemented," said Fu in an explanation of the vote.
"A veto by a single permanent member cannot stop the march toward peace. We urge the United States to face up to its responsibilities as a permanent member of the Security Council, abandon its political calculations, and adopt a just and responsible attitude in supporting the council to take all necessary actions."
It was the fifth time that the US has vetoed a Security Council draft ceasefire resolution to protect Israel.
Washington vetoed a similar resolution in November, under the Biden administration, on the grounds that the ceasefire demand was not directly linked to the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages held by Hamas.
The resolution was co-sponsored by Algeria, Denmark, Greece, Guyana, Pakistan, Panama, South Korea, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, and Somalia. Russia, China, France and the UK also voted in favour.
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