The United States on Wednesday vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution calling for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in Gaza. The resolution was proposed by 10 nonpermanent members of the Security Council: Algeria, Ecuador, Guyana, Japan, Malta, Mozambique, the Republic of Korea, Sierra Leone, Slovenia and Switzerland. It was supported by 14 of 15 Security Council members.
The resolution also called for the release of hostages, the withdrawal of Israeli troops from Gaza, and the facilitation of humanitarian aid. However, the United States blocked it, citing that the resolution failed to make the release of hostages a precondition for a truce.
The US position, articulated by Deputy Ambassador Robert A. Wood, emphasised that it would only support a resolution that explicitly demanded the immediate release of all hostages held by Hamas. Over 100 hostages remain in Gaza, and Washington has been negotiating their release. The United States argued that a ceasefire without securing the hostages' release could send a dangerous message to Hamas, potentially weakening the pressure to negotiate and resolve the hostage crisis.
"A durable end to the war must come with the release of the hostages," Wood said. "These two urgent goals are inextricably linked. This resolution abandoned that necessity, and for that reason, the United States could not support it."
The veto marks the fourth time the US has blocked a similar resolution, asserting that these two issues—the end of hostilities and the release of hostages—are interlinked.
The resolution also urged Israel to allow unhindered humanitarian aid into Gaza, where the humanitarian crisis has deepened, with over 40,000 people reported dead and famine becoming a growing concern. Other members of the Security Council like France, China, and Malta criticised the decision, accusing the US of enabling further loss of life by insisting on preconditions for a ceasefire. Malta's ambassador Vanessa Frazier said the resolution was a minimal step, and France's Nicolas de Rivière lamented the lack of a strong stance on hostage release. Chinese Ambassador Fu Cong said each time the US had exercised its veto to protect Israel, the number of people killed in Gaza had steadily risen.
Israel’s Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, however, defended the US position, stating that the resolution was not aimed at peace, but at appeasing Hamas. He claimed that any ceasefire without addressing the hostage issue would encourage Hamas to continue its actions. Palestinian envoy, Majed Bamya, condemned the veto, calling it a justification for Israel's ongoing military actions, which he described as genocide. He argued that an unconditional ceasefire was crucial to ending the violence and saving lives, accusing the US of enabling Israel's destructive war strategy.
This veto came against the backdrop of a rapidly deteriorating situation in Gaza, where Israel's military actions, in response to a Hamas attack in October 2023, have displaced much of the population and triggered widespread condemnation for alleged human rights violations. The conflict has drawn international attention, with some organisations labelling Israel’s actions as genocide, leading to calls for accountability.
The US veto also comes amidst an ongoing diplomatic struggle to secure a resolution, with outgoing President Joe Biden’s administration attempting to broker a deal involving hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. Despite these efforts, the United States has faced increasing criticism for its role in blocking a ceasefire resolution, with international figures urging Washington to reconsider its stance and prioritise humanitarian concerns alongside the hostages' release.
