US once again vetoes UN Security Council cease-fire resolution on Gaza

HAMILTON, Canada (AA) – The US vetoed a UN Security Council draft resolution on Wednesday that demanded an “immediate, unconditional, and permanent” cease-fire in the Gaza Strip.

It also urged the prevention of starvation of Palestinians.

The draft resolution, submitted by 10 elected members of the Council — Algeria, Ecuador, Guyana, Malta, Mozambique, South Korea, Sierra Leone, Slovenia and Switzerland — received 14 votes.

The resolution “demanded an immediate, unconditional, and permanent cease-fire to be respected by all parties,” while reiterating “demand for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages” as it urged the Security Council to fulfill its responsibility to maintain international peace and security.

It highlighted the worsening humanitarian crisis and demanded “immediate access by the civilian population in the Gaza Strip to basic services and humanitarian assistance indispensable to its survival.”

The draft resolution rejected “any effort to starve Palestinians” and called for “the facilitation of full, rapid, safe, and unhindered entry of humanitarian assistance at scale to and throughout the Gaza Strip.”

– US previously vetoed 3 Gaza resolutions –

US deputy envoy to UN Robert Wood said after the vote, “We made clear throughout negotiations we could not support an unconditional cease-fire that failed to release the hostages,” and that “a durable end to the war must come with the release of the hostages.”

“Simply put, this resolution would have sent a dangerous message to Hamas. There’s no need to come back to the negotiating table,” he added, accusing the Palestine resistance group of rejecting cease-fire deals.

The US previously vetoed three Security Council draft resolutions that called for an urgent cease-fire in Gaza.

The US vetoed resolutions in October 2023, December 2023 and in February this year.