The US has vetoed a United Nations resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza – despite the proposal being backed by almost all members of the Security Council.
Dozens of other nations had also expressed support for an urgent cessation of hostilities, leaving Washington diplomatically isolated on the international stage.
Out of the 15 members on the council, 13 voted in favour of the resolution. The US was the only country to block it, and the UK abstained.
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Antonio Guterres
The vote followed an emergency meeting that was called after the UN’s secretary-general invoked a rare power that hadn’t been used since 1971.
Article 99 allows Antonio Guterres to raise threats that he sees to international peace and security, and he warned of a “humanitarian catastrophe in Gaza”.
Mr Guterres had told the council: “There is no effective protection of civilians. The people of Gaza are being told to move like human pinballs – ricocheting between ever-smaller slivers of the south, without any of the basics for survival. But nowhere in Gaza is safe.”
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Moment US vetoes ceasefire resolution
America’s veto prompted criticism, with the UAE’s deputy ambassador asking: “What is the message we are sending to Palestinians if we cannot unite behind a call to halt the relentless bombardment of Gaza?”
The US and Israel oppose a ceasefire because they believe it would only benefit Hamas – and instead, Washington supports humanitarian pauses, like the seven-day truce that ended last week.
Analysis: A defining moment for the UN
Around the UN table, as around the world, there was a recognition of a defining episode for the organisation.
The UN describes its four “pillars” as peace and security, human rights, the rule of law and development.
It’s a list that people in Gaza won’t recognise.
Read the full analysis here.
Robert Wood, the deputy US ambassador to the UN, had warned the proposal was “unsustainable” and would “only plant the seeds for the next war”.
He went on to criticise the resolution for failing to condemn Hamas’s attack on Israeli civilians in October, which killed more than 1,200 people.
Barbara Woodward, the UK’s permanent representative to the UN, made similar remarks – adding: “Calling for a ceasefire ignores the fact that Hamas has committed acts of terror and is still holding civilians hostage.”
She said the UK is “gravely concerned” about the situation in Gaza and warned the scale of civilian deaths cannot continue – but said “further and longer” humanitarian pauses are the solution so Israel can defend itself.
Meanwhile, Israel’s UN ambassador Gilad Erdan said in a statement: “A ceasefire will be possible only with the return of all the hostages and the destruction of Hamas.”
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‘A sad day’
Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian ambassador to the UN, denounced the Security Council for failing to pass the resolution.
He said it was a “sad day” in the organisation’s history, adding: “It would have been good to succeed yesterday, today, the day before, a month ago, two months ago.
“But there are those who cannot see reality as they should see it. But eventually they will cave in under the massive pressure of humanity.”
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‘A sad day’: Anger as ceasefire vote fails
Meanwhile, seven aid agencies and charities issued a joint statement to say they were “appalled” that the resolution hasn’t been implemented.
The group – including Oxfam and Save the Children – said: “People do not have access to food and water. The healthcare system has collapsed, attacks on hospitals have left much of Gaza’s population without access to any treatment. The outbreak of disease is threatening lives further.
“We need to reach people now. It is unjustifiable that Security Council members would veto a resolution calling for a halt to fighting when the humanitarian case for a ceasefire is so clear.”
The latest estimates from the Palestinian-run health ministry suggest more than 17,400 people have been killed in Gaza since Israel’s bombardment began.
Over 60% of housing has been destroyed or damaged, and 85% of the population has been forced from their homes.
