The United States on Wednesday vetoed a United Nations 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. 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.
Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian ambassador to the UN, thanked the 14 countries that backed the resolution. “We are grateful for your demonstrations and tenacity in the Security Council demanding action, and we also support you in continuing to knock on the door of the Security Council to shoulder its responsibility,” he said.
Mansour said he would now seek a vote on the resolution calling for a ceasefire at the General Assembly.
The U.S. veto drew criticism from Security Council members. Fu Cong, China’s permanent representative to the UN, said China is deeply disappointed at the result of Wednesday’s vote.
Noting the draft resolution met the most pressing demands of the people in Gaza and reflected the overwhelming voice of the international community, Fu 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 questioning from the international community.”
Fu said Wednesday’s vote result once again exposed that the root cause of the Security Council’s inability to quell the conflict in Gaza is repeated obstruction by the United States, which has vetoed the council’s request for a ceasefire multiple times. Because of its shielding of Israel, several resolutions adopted by the council have not been effectively implemented, he added.
“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,” the senior Chinese diplomat said.
British UN ambassador Barbara Woodward said her country voted in favor of the draft resolution because the intolerable situation in Gaza needs to end.
Noting Palestinians desperate to feed their families have been killed as they try to reach the very few aid sites that have been permitted by Israel, Woodward said: “This is inhumane.”
Britain supports the UN call for immediate and independent investigations into these incidents and for perpetrators to be held accountable, Woodward said, adding that Israel needs to end its restrictions on aid and let the world body carry out its humanitarian operations in Gaza.
Algerian UN ambassador Amar Bendjama said the draft resolution was not the voice of the few, but the collective will of the entire world.
“This (draft) humanitarian resolution, even in its obstruction by a veto, is a mirror – a mirror that reflects the agony of multilateralism, and an urgent need to revive it,” he said.
Pakistani UN ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad said his country deeply regretted the failure of the Security Council to adopt the resolution.
“It’s a sad day, another low in the history of this august body that is entrusted with the primary responsibility for the maintenance of international peace and security,” Ahmad said.
The veto cast by the United States sends a dangerous message that the lives of over 2 million Palestinians, besieged, starved and relentlessly bombarded, are dispensable, he said. “This will remain not only a moral stain on the conscience of this council, but a fateful moment of political abdication that will reverberate for generations.”
(With input from Xinhua)
U.S. vetoes UNSC draft resolution demanding immediate Gaza ceasefire
