US vetos UN Security Council resolution on Gaza
The United States on Wednesday vetoed a UN Security Council resolution aimed at de-escalating the Gaza war, saying it would strengthen the Palestinian Islamist militia Hamas.
Acting US Ambassador Dorothy Shea blocked the legally binding decision of the UN's most powerful body against all 14 other member states who voted in favour of the resolution. She decried the statement's failure to condemn Hamas in an unusually sharp statement.
"Engaging in this performative process – at a time when serious questions are being asked about the utility of the UN, its funding, and use of resources – is shameful," Shea said in a statement.
"This Council should not be used in this way. This Council must hold itself to a higher standard."
The text, proposed by the 10 non-permanent members of the council, would have legally required an immediate ceasefire, the release of all Israeli hostages, and the lifting of restrictions on humanitarian aid for the 2.1 million people in need in the Gaza Strip.
US: Resolution would have emboldened Hamas
The US argued that passing the resolution would strengthen Hamas and enable further attacks like the one on October 7, 2023, which started the current conflict, when Hamas and others invaded Israel, killing 1,200 and taking some 250 hostage.
Ongoing negotiations for a ceasefire would also be undermined by the resolution, she argued.
The lack of condemnation of Hamas made supporting the resolution impossible, the US said.
The US also criticized the resolution for failing to address issues with the current UN-led aid mechanism for the Gaza Strip. The negotiations over the text were reportedly rushed, and key amendments were not considered.
However, sources within the Security Council suggested that the US had demanded the resolution support the controversial Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF).
This organization, backed by Israel and the US, bypasses the United Nations in distributing humanitarian aid, which, according to the UN, endangers civilians and violates established standards of neutral assistance.
Washington isolated – 'parallel realities'
The UN Security Council consists of 15 members, five of which are permanent and hold veto power: the US, China, Russia, France, and the United Kingdom. The council has repeatedly discussed the Gaza war, with the US consistently vetoing resolutions calling for an end to hostilities and an expansion of humanitarian aid restricted by Israel.
Washington is considered isolated in the Security Council on this issue. Security Council diplomats have repeatedly expressed frustration with the US position in recent months, particularly as the humanitarian situation in Gaza has worsened due to withheld aid.
A diplomat from the council remarked that the US and the rest of the council "live in two parallel realities."
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