Israel-Hamas War News Highlights: The United States vetoed a UN Security Council resolution on Thursday that demanded an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages, saying it did not go far enough in condemning Hamas. The 14 other council members voted in favour of the draft, which described the humanitarian situation as “catastrophic," reported AP. It also urged Israel to lift all restrictions on aid delivery to the 2.1 million Palestinians in Gaza. The veto comes as Israeli tanks and troops push deeper into Gaza City in a new ground offensive, with the military saying it aims to “destroy Hamas’ military infrastructure.” How have officials reacted? Palestinian ambassador to the UN Riyad Mansour said he could “understand the anger and frustration and disappointment” of Palestinians who had hoped the council would act to end the conflict. Algeria, one of the resolution’s backers, expressed dismay and apologised to Palestinians for “not doing enough to save civilians’ lives,” according to AP. Pakistan’s envoy described the vote during the council’s 10,000th meeting as “a dark moment.” Israel vows to press on with Gaza offensive: Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, rejected the resolution, saying it would “not release the hostages and will not bring security to the region.” He added, according to AP, “Israel will continue to fight Hamas and protect its citizens, even if the Security Council prefers to turn a blind eye to terrorism.”
