The US on Wednesday vetoed a resolution at the UN Security Council that called for an “immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire” in Gaza, the release of Israeli captives, and the unrestricted flow of humanitarian aid into the besieged Palestinian territory.
The US was the only member of the 15-member Security Council that didn’t vote in favor of the ceasefire. The resolution was introduced by the 10 non-permanent members of the Council: Algeria, Denmark, Greece, Guyana, Panama, Pakistan, South Korea, Sierra Leone, Somalia, and Slovenia.
“We believe this text reflects the consensus shared by all Council members that the war in Gaza has to come to an immediate halt, all hostages must be immediately and unconditionally released, and civilians in Gaza must not starve and must have full and unimpeded access to aid,” the 10 nations said in a joint statement.
The US and the four other permanent members — Russia, China, the UK, and France — all have veto power on the Security Council. The Biden administration vetoed several Gaza-related resolutions at the Security Council, but Wednesday’s vote marked the first time the new Trump administration used its veto power to block a Gaza ceasefire resolution on behalf of Israel.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said in a post on X after the vote that he wanted to thank President Trump and the “US administration for standing shoulder to shoulder with Israel and vetoing this one-sided resolution in the UN Security Council.”
Dorothy Shea, the acting US ambassador to the UN, said that “any product that undermines our close ally Israel’s security is a nonstarter.” She also claimed the resolution would hurt diplomatic efforts that have failed to make progress due to Israel’s refusal to end its genocidal war by committing to a permanent ceasefire.
“The United States has been clear we would not support any measure that fails to condemn Hamas and does not call for Hamas to disarm and leave Gaza,” Shea said. “This resolution would undermine diplomatic efforts to reach a ceasefire that reflects the realities on the ground, and embolden Hamas.”
