US Move Called a 'Green Light for Continued Annihilation'

The United States on Wednesday vetoed a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza because it was not linked to the release of hostages, saying it would embolden Hamas militants, the AP reports. All 14 other members of the council voted in favor of the resolution, which described the humanitarian situation in Gaza as "catastrophic" and called on Israel to lift all restrictions on the delivery of aid to the 2.1 million Palestinians in the territory. The resolution before the UN's most powerful body also did not fulfill two other US demands: It did not condemn Hamas' deadly attack in Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, which ignited the war, or say the militant group must disarm and withdraw from Gaza.

Acting US Ambassador Dorothy Shea, speaking to the council immediately before the vote, said the resolution would undermine the security of Israel, a close US ally, and diplomatic efforts to reach a ceasefire "that reflects the realities on the ground." US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said the resolution would only have empowered Hamas. "Hamas could end this brutal conflict immediately by laying down its arms and releasing all remaining hostages," he said in a statement. Israel's UN Ambassador Danny Danon thanked the United States for refusing to abandon the hostages. He said the resolution's failure to make the release of hostages a condition for a ceasefire would have put all the pressure on Israel and handed Hamas "time, leverage, and political cover."

But the US veto of the resolution—its fifth since the start of the war—was roundly criticized by other members of the council, who accused the United States of providing Israel with impunity. The Chinese ambassador to the UN said Israel's actions have "crossed every red line" of international humanitarian law and seriously violated UN resolutions. "Yet, due to the shielding by one country, these violations have not been stopped or held accountable," Ambassador Fu Cong said. Pakistan's Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad said the US veto "will be remembered as a complicity, a green light for continued annihilation. A moment where the entire world was expecting action. But yet again, this council was blocked and prevented by one member from carrying out its responsibility."