US vetoes UN Security Council demand for Gaza ceasefire
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.
The resolution before the UN's most powerful body also did not condemn Hamas' deadly attack in Israel on October 7, 2023, which ignited the war, or say the militant group must disarm and withdraw from Gaza – two other US demands.
The 14 other members of the 15-nation council voted in favour 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.
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', while emboldening Hamas.
The Palestinian UN Ambassador Riyad Mansour has said that supporters plan to go to the 193-member UN General Assembly next week with a similar resolution focused on the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza.
There are no vetoes in the General Assembly. Unlike in the Security Council, its resolutions are not legally binding, but instead are seen as a measure of world opinion.
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
HKFP
an hour ago
- HKFP
Jailed Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong charged with conspiring to collude with foreign forces
Jailed Hong Kong activist Joshua Wong has been charged with conspiring to collude with foreign forces under the Beijing-imposed national security law. The 28-year-old activist, who was jailed under the national security law for four years and eight months last year over an unofficial primary election, was brought to the West Kowloon Magistrates' Courts on Friday afternoon to face a new national security offence. Wong stands accused of conspiring with self-exiled activist Nathan Law and 'other persons unknown' between July 1, 2020 and November 23, 2020 to request foreign countries or organisations to impose sanctions, blockades or engage in other hostile activities against Hong Kong or China, according to the charge sheet seen by HKFP. He also allegedly conspired to request foreign powers or organisations to 'seriously disrupt the formulation and implementation of laws and policies' in Hong Kong and China, 'which was likely to cause serious consequences,' the charge sheet said. His case was adjourned to August 8, according to local media reports. The offence carries a maximum penalty of life behind bars. Wong was arrested in Stanley Prison by the police's national security department on Friday before being brought to court. He was also arrested on suspicion of money laundering, according to a police statement on Friday, but has not been charged for that. Beijing inserted national security legislation directly into Hong Kong's mini-constitution in June 2020 following a year of pro-democracy protests and unrest. It criminalised subversion, secession, collusion with foreign forces and terrorist acts – broadly defined to include disruption to transport and other infrastructure. The move gave police sweeping new powers and led to hundreds of arrests amid new legal precedents, while dozens of civil society groups disappeared. The authorities say it restored stability and peace to the city, rejecting criticism from trade partners, the UN and NGOs.
South China Morning Post
7 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Australia's Albanese says compromise on biosecurity ‘not worth it' ahead of Trump talks
Australia will not relax its strict biosecurity rules during tariff negotiations with the United States, Prime Minister Anthony Albanese said on Friday ahead of a potential meeting with US President Donald Trump at the G7 summit this month. Australia has restricted the entry of US beef since 2003 due to the detection of bovine spongiform encephalopathy, known as mad cow disease, but it exports beef worth A$4 billion (US$2.6 billion) annually to the US, its largest market. 'We will not change or compromise any of the issues regarding biosecurity – full stop, exclamation mark. It's simply not worth it,' Albanese told ABC Radio. Trump in April singled out Australian beef while announcing a 10 per cent baseline tariff on all imports. Years of dry weather have shrunk US cattle numbers to their lowest since the 1950s, but Australia, with a herd swollen by wet weather, is flush with supply, offering lower prices and lean cuts that the US lacks. A report in The Sydney Morning Herald newspaper on Friday, citing unidentified government officials, said Australian authorities were reviewing whether to allow entry of beef products from cattle raised in Mexico and Canada but slaughtered in the US, as the Trump administration has demanded.
South China Morning Post
7 hours ago
- South China Morning Post
Israel strikes Beirut's suburbs, targeting Hezbollah drone production
The Israeli military struck several sites in Beirut's southern suburbs that it said held underground facilities used by Hezbollah for drone production Thursday, on the eve of the Eid al-Adha holiday. Advertisement The strikes marked the first time in more than a month that Israel had struck on the outskirts of the capital and the fourth time since a US-brokered ceasefire agreement ended the latest war between Israel and the Lebanese militant group Hezbollah in November. Israel posted a warning ahead of the strikes on X, announcing that it would hit eight buildings at four locations. Israel has continued to carry out near-daily strikes in southern and eastern Lebanon since the ceasefire, which Lebanon has said were in violation of the agreement. Israeli officials say the strikes are intended to prevent Hezbollah from regrouping after a war that took out much of its senior leadership and arsenal. The aftermath of an Israeli strike that targeted the Hadath neighbourhood in the southern suburbs of Beirut. Photo: AFP The Israeli army said in a statement that Hezbollah was 'working to produce thousands of drones under the guidance and financing of Iranian terrorist groups'. Advertisement Hezbollah 'used drones extensively in its attacks against the State of Israel and is working to expand its drone industry and production in preparation for the next war,' the army statement said.
