Anger as US blocks Gaza ceasefire resolution at UN Security Council

UN Security Council members criticized the United States Wednesday after it vetoed a resolution calling for a ceasefire and unrestricted humanitarian access in Gaza, which Washington said undermined ongoing diplomacy.

It was the 15-member body's first vote on the situation since November, when the United States -- a key Israeli ally -- also blocked a text calling for an end to fighting.

"Today, the United States sent a strong message by vetoing a counterproductive UN Security Council resolution on Gaza targeting Israel," Secretary of State Marco Rubio said in a statement after Wednesday's 14 to 1 vote.

He said Washington would not support any text that "draws a false equivalence between Israel and Hamas, or disregards Israel’s right to defend itself.

"The United States will continue to stand with Israel at the UN."

The draft resolution had demanded "an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in Gaza respected by all parties."

It also called for the "immediate, dignified and unconditional release of all hostages held by Hamas and other groups," and demanded the lifting of all restrictions on the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza.

Hamas, whose unprecedented attack inside Israel on October 7, 2023 sparked the war, condemned the "disgraceful" US veto, reiterating accusations of "genocide" in Gaza, something Israel vehemently rejects.

The veto "marks a new stain on the ethical record of the United States of America," the group said in a statement, accusing Washington of "legitimizing genocide, supporting aggression, and rationalizing starvation, destruction, and mass killings."

- 'Moral stain' -

Pakistan's ambassador to the UN Asim Ahmad meanwhile said the failed resolution would "remain not only a moral stain on the conscience of this council, but a fateful moment of political application that will reverberate for generations."

China's ambassador to the UN Fu Cong said: "today's vote result once again exposes that the root cause of the council's inability to quell the conflict in Gaza is the repeated obstruction by the US."

The veto marks Washington's first such action since US President Donald Trump took office in January.

Israel has faced mounting international pressure to end its war in Gaza.

That scrutiny has increased over flailing aid distribution in Gaza, which Israel blocked for more than two months before allowing a small number of UN vehicles to enter in mid-May.

The United Nations, which warned last month the entire population in the besieged Palestinian territory was at risk of famine, said trickle was far from enough to meet the humanitarian needs.

- 'Judged by history' -

"The Council was prevented from shouldering its responsibility, despite the fact that most of us seem to be converging on one view," said France's ambassador to the UN Jerome Bonnafont.

Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian ambassador to the UN, said after the Security Council vote he would now ask the General Assembly to pass a resolution calling for a ceasefire.

Israel's ambassador to the UN Danny Danon however said that the Palestinian plan to put the resolution to a vote at the General Assembly, where no country can veto it, was pointless, telling countries "don't waste more of your energy."

"This resolution doesn't advance humanitarian relief and undermines it. It ignores a working system in favor of political agendas," he said.

"The United Nations must return to its original purpose—promoting peace and security—and stop these performative actions," Rubio said.