For the sixth occasion, the United States has blocked a draft resolution at the UN Security Council that sought to enforce an immediate and lasting ceasefire in Gaza alongside the release of hostages.
Deputy Middle East envoy Morgan Ortagus defended Washington’s decision, arguing that the proposed text fell short of explicitly condemning Hamas or acknowledging Israel’s right to defend itself.
The move left the US standing alone, as all 14 other Council members supported the resolution. The draft described the humanitarian crisis in Gaza as “catastrophic” and pressed Israel to lift restrictions on humanitarian assistance.
Meanwhile, the UN’s humanitarian office has raised alarm over the dire situation in Gaza City, warning that the last remaining lifelines for civilians are breaking down as Israel widens its military campaign.
Despite the near-unanimous vote, Ortagus stressed before the ballot that America’s position should “come as no surprise”.
“It fails to condemn Hamas or recognise Israel’s right to defend itself, and it wrongly legitimises the false narratives benefitting Hamas, which have sadly found currency in this council,” she said.
Following the decision, numerous UN representatives voiced disappointment. Palestinian Ambassador Riyad Mansour called the veto “deeply regrettable and painful”, saying it had stopped the Security Council from “playing its rightful role in the face of these atrocities”.
Pakistan’s envoy Asim Ahmad described the outcome as “a dark moment in this chamber,” adding, “The world is watching. The cries of children should pierce our hearts.”
Algeria’s Ambassador Amar Bendjama expressed remorse, addressing Palestinians directly: “Palestinian brothers, Palestinian sisters, forgive us. Forgive us, because the world speaks of rights, but denies them to Palestinians. Forgive us because our efforts, our sincere efforts, shattered against this wall of rejection.”
This latest vote comes just days before the UN General Assembly, where Gaza is expected to dominate discussions and several key US allies, including the UK, are preparing to formally recognise a Palestinian state.
On the ground, thousands of civilians continue to flee amid intensifying bombardments, with Israeli tanks and troops pressing forward on the third day of a ground assault.
Olga Cherevko, a spokesperson for the UN humanitarian office, described conditions in Gaza City as “nothing short of cataclysmic.”
Israel’s offensive follows the Hamas-led assault on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, which killed around 1,200 people and saw 251 others taken hostage.
Since then, Gaza’s health ministry reports that at least 65,141 people have been killed in Israeli strikes. The ministry also attributes a further 435 deaths to hunger and malnutrition, including four within the past 24 hours.
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