US blocks UN’s resolution seeking ceasefire in Gaza strip 

The United States of America has, on Friday, exercised its veto power in the United Nations Security Council, blocking a resolution that called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza. 

The Associated Press (AP) reported that despite support from most Security Council members and numerous nations, the U.S. opposed the resolution, arguing that a ceasefire would primarily benefit Hamas.

Washington instead supports pauses in fighting to protect civilians and allow the release of hostages taken by Hamas in a deadly October 7 attack on Israel.

The US Deputy Ambassador to the UN, Robert Wood said, “While the US strongly supports a durable peace in which both Israel and Palestine can live in peace and security, we do not support calls for an immediate ceasefire. This would only plant the seeds for the next war, because Hamas has no desire to see a durable peace, to see a two-state solution.” 

The resolution, proposed by the United Arab Emirates, received 13 votes in favor, with the United Kingdom abstaining. 

The U.S. and Israel advocate for pauses in fighting to protect civilians and secure the release of hostages taken by Hamas. 

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres had previously warned the council of the global threat posed by the ongoing two-month-long conflict. 

The U.S. deputy ambassador to the UN, Robert Wood, stated that supporting an immediate ceasefire could undermine long-term peace efforts due to Hamas’s lack of commitment to a lasting resolution. 

The Security Council’s attempt to address the humanitarian crisis in Gaza faced criticism from world leaders, rights groups, and UN officials. 

The conflict, ongoing since October 7, has resulted in over 17,400 Palestinian and about 1,200 Israeli casualties. 

The U.S. veto has drawn condemnation for what Amnesty International’s secretary-general, Agnes Callamard, called a “callous disregard for civilian suffering” in the occupied Gaza Strip.