US vetoes UN Security Council resolution on Gaza ceasefire

Robert Wood, the US deputy ambassador to the UN, stated that Washington would only support a resolution explicitly linking a ceasefire to the immediate release of hostages.

“A durable end to the war must come with the release of the hostages. These two urgent goals are inextricably linked. This resolution abandoned that necessity, and for that reason, the United States could not support it,” he said.

Wood added that the US had sought compromise, but the resolution’s text risked sending a “dangerous message” to Hamas that “there’s no need to come back to the negotiating table.”

Israel’s campaign in Gaza has resulted in nearly 44,000 deaths and displaced almost the entire population of the enclave at least once. The offensive followed an attack by Hamas-led fighters on 7 October 2023, which killed 1,200 people and saw over 250 hostages taken in Israel.

The resolution, put forward by Algeria, Ecuador, Guyana, Japan, Malta, Mozambique, South Korea, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, and Switzerland, faced widespread disappointment after being vetoed. Malta’s UN ambassador Vanessa Frazier expressed regret, stating, “It is deeply regretted that due to the use of the veto this council has once again failed to uphold its responsibility to maintain international peace and security.” She argued the resolution represented the “bare minimum” needed to address the crisis.

Food security experts have warned of impending famine for Gaza’s 2.3 million residents.

US President Joe Biden, whose term ends on 20 January, has strongly backed Israel diplomatically and supplied arms for the conflict, despite failed attempts to broker a ceasefire that would secure hostages’ release in exchange for Palestinians held by Israel.

France’s ambassador Nicolas de Riviere noted that the rejected resolution did firmly call for the release of hostages, saying, “France still has two hostages in Gaza, and we deeply regret that the Security Council was not able to formulate this demand.”

China’s UN ambassador Fu Cong criticised the US veto, questioning, “How many more people have to die before they wake up from their pretend slumber?” He argued that setting preconditions for a ceasefire condoned further violence.

Israel’s UN ambassador Danny Danon dismissed the resolution as “a resolution for appeasement” of Hamas, stating, “History will remember who stood with the hostages and who abandoned them.”

From the homepage

US clears Excalibur artillery shells, Javelin anti-tank systems for India

SC clarifies Governor’s powers: How it answered 14 questions referred by President

90% of selected students Muslim, Sangh outfits want admission for Vaishnodevi medical college scrapped