JAKARTA - The United States (US) on Tuesday again vetoed a draft UN Security Council resolution on the Israel-Hamas war, blocking proposals for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and prompting the 15-member body to call for a temporary ceasefire regarding the release of hostages held by Hamas.
Thirteen council members voted in favor of Algeria's draft law, while Britain abstained. This is America's third veto of a draft resolution since the start of the conflict on October 7. Washington also used its veto power to block amendments to the draft resolution in December.
"Voting in favor of this draft resolution is an endorsement of the Palestinian people's right to life. Conversely, a vote against this draft resolution implies support for the brutal violence and collective punishment inflicted on them," Algeria's Ambassador to the UN, Amar Bendjama, told the council before the vote, reported by Reuters, February 21.
Previously, US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield signaled on Saturday that the US would veto the draft resolution out of concern it would jeopardize negotiations between the US, Egypt, Israel, and Qatar seeking to broker a pause in the war and the release of hostages by Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
"Demanding an immediate and unconditional ceasefire without a deal requiring Hamas to release hostages will not produce lasting peace. Instead, it could prolong fighting between Hamas and Israel," Thomas-Greenfield told the council ahead of the vote.
An Algerian-drafted resolution that was vetoed by the US did not link the ceasefire to the release of the hostages. They separately demanded an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.
"The message given today to Israel with this veto is that they can continue to get away with murder," Palestinian UN envoy Riyad Mansour criticized the council.
Meanwhile, Israel's UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan said the word ceasefire was mentioned "as if it were a miracle solution, a magical solution to all the problems in the region."
"The ceasefire achieves one thing and one thing only, the survival of Hamas," Erdan told the council.
"A ceasefire is a death sentence for more Israelis and Gazans," he stressed.
The US itself proposed a draft resolution calling for an immediate temporary ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war, opposing the massive ground offensive carried out by its ally Israel in Rafah. It said it planned to allow time for negotiations and would not rush a vote.
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Until now, Washington has rejected the word ceasefire in any UN action regarding the Israel-Hamas war, but the text delivered by the US reflects the language President Joe Biden used last week in his conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
Washington's draft resolution would have the Security Council “underline its support for an immediate temporary ceasefire in Gaza, based on a formula for the release of all hostages, and a call for the removal of all obstacles to the provision of large-scale humanitarian assistance.”
This is the second time since October 7 that Washington has proposed a Security Council resolution regarding Gaza. Russia and China vetoed his first attempt in late October.
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