NEW YORK: The United States on Friday vetoed a UN Security Council resolution that called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
The resolution, co-sponsored by at least 97 UN member states, received the support of 13 Security Council members, while the United Kingdom abstained.
UN Chief Antonio Guterres and Arab nations proposed the resolution to end the ongoing massacre of innocent Palestinians in Gaza Strip by the Israeli occupation forces.
Guterres convened an emergency meeting of the UNSC after weeks of fighting that left more than 17,487 Palestinians dead in Gaza, mostly women and children.
#BREAKING United States vetoes Security Council draft resolution that would have demanded an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza, and immediate and unconditional release of all hostages
VOTE
In Favour: 13
Against: 1 (US)
Abstain: 1 (UK) pic.twitter.com/hY0YcJ1JKF— UN News (@UN_News_Centre) December 8, 2023
UN Security Council Meeting on Gaza
Guterres invoked Article 99 of the UN Charter, bringing attention to a matter that, in his opinion, may threaten the maintenance of international peace and security.
The US deputy UN representative Robert Wood justifying its veto, said this resolution still contains a call for an unconditional ceasefire which would leave Hamas to repeat what it did on October 7.
As a permanent Security Council member, the US has a right to veto any resolution. Other permanent members of the UNSC are China, France, Russia, and the UK.
The representative of the United Arab Emirates (UAE) who sponsored the resolution termed the development extremely disappointed saying this council is unable to implement a humanitarian cease-fire in Gaza. Mohamed Abushahab said there is nothing else left other than to demand the war to be ended.
READ ALSO: US Opposes Immediate Ceasefire in Gaza as Over 17,487 Palestinians Killed
Before the start of the vote, Guterres had sought a humanitarian ceasefire to stop a catastrophe for Palestinians. The Israeli air and ground assault on Gaza has led to severe humanitarian consequences, with around 80 percent of the Gaza population reportedly displaced and facing critical shortages of food, fuel, water, and medicine. Guterres has called for a “humanitarian ceasefire” to prevent a catastrophe with potentially irreversible implications for Palestinians and the broader Middle East.
The US position, opposing an immediate ceasefire, adds a layer of complexity to international efforts to address the ongoing crisis and implement immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
