US vetoes UN Security Council resolution demanding immediate Gaza ceasefire
The United States 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's 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.
The US vetoed the last resolution on Gaza in November, under the Biden administration, again because the ceasefire demand was not directly linked to the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.
Similarly, the current resolution demands those taken by Hamas and other groups be released, but it does not make it a condition for a truce.
President Donald Trump's administration has tried to ramp up its efforts to broker peace in Gaza after 20 months of war.
However, Hamas has sought amendments to a US proposal that special envoy Steve Witkoff has called 'totally unacceptable'.
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