The United Nations Security Council failed to pass a resolution on Friday calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, as the US vetoed the resolution backed by almost all other members of the council and dozens of other nations. This move has been met with disappointment and concern from supporters, who worry that the war will continue to cause civilian deaths and destruction in the region.
The vote in the 15-member council was 13-1, with the United Kingdom abstaining. The US is now the only nation to oppose the resolution. France, Japan, and other countries voiced their support for a ceasefire, and the foreign ministers of Egypt, Jordan, the Palestinian Authority, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and Turkey were all in Washington to urge the Biden administration to support the resolution.
The US deputy ambassador to the UN, Robert Wood, said the resolution was “imbalanced” and criticized the council for its failure to condemn Hamas’ Oct. 7 attack on Israel, or to acknowledge Israel’s right to defend itself. He went on to say that a ceasefire would allow Hamas to continue to rule Gaza and “only plant the seeds for the next war.”
The UAE’s deputy ambassador, Mohamed Abushaha, said before the vote that the resolution had garnered nearly 100 co-sponsors in less than 24 hours, a sign of the global support for ending the war and saving Palestinian lives. After the vote, he expressed deep disappointment at the US veto and warned that the Security Council is becoming isolated and “appears untethered” from its mandate to ensure international peace and security.
The UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, invoked Article 99 of the UN Charter, which enables a UN chief to raise threats he sees to international peace and security. He warned of a “humanitarian catastrophe” in Gaza and urged the council to demand a humanitarian ceasefire.
Guterres detailed the “humanitarian nightmare” in Gaza, citing Israeli attacks from air, land, and sea that have hit 339 education facilities, 26 hospitals, 56 health care facilities, 88 mosques, and three churches. He also stated that over 60% of housing in Gaza has been destroyed or damaged, that 85% of the population has been forced from their homes, and that the health system is collapsing.
The Palestinian UN Ambassador, Riyad Mansour, told the council that Israel’s objective is “the ethnic cleansing of the Gaza Strip” and “the dispossession and forcible displacement of the Palestinian people.” He went on to say that “when you refuse to call for a ceasefire, you are refusing to call for the only thing that can put an end to war crimes, crimes against humanity and genocide.”
Israel’s Defense Minister, Yoav Gallant, thanked the US for its “bold leadership.” He said that a ceasefire would “hand a prize to Hamas, dismiss the hostages held in Gaza, and signal terror groups everywhere.”
Jordan’s Foreign Minister, Ayman Safadi, said that the killings of Palestinian civilians in Israel’s bombardment and siege of Gaza were war crimes and threatened to destabilize the region, the US, and the world for years to come. Amnesty International and Human Rights Watch also spoke out against the US veto, with the latter saying that by providing weapons and diplomatic cover to Israel “as it commits atrocities, including collectively punishing the Palestinian civilian population in Gaza, the US risks complicity in war crimes.”
The US veto of the UN resolution has been met with disappointment and criticism from around the world, as it is now the only nation to oppose a call for an immediate ceasefire. Supporters of the resolution have said that the US’ actions will cause more civilian deaths in Palestine and Israel, including women and children. With the US’ decision to veto the resolution, the world will now watch to see what steps are taken to bring an end to the conflict and to protect the lives of innocent civilians.
