US vetoes Gaza ceasefire resolution at UN Security Council

The United States vetoed on Wednesday a UN Security Council resolution calling for a ceasefire and unrestricted humanitarian access in Gaza, which Washington claimed undermined ongoing diplomacy to resolve the conflict.

It was the 15-member body's first vote on the situation since November, when the United States -- a key Israeli ally -- also blocked a text calling for an end to fighting.

"This resolution would undermine diplomatic efforts to reach a ceasefire that reflects the realities on the ground and emboldens Hamas," Washington's United Nations envoy Dorothy Shea said ahead of the vote.

"This resolution also draws false equivalence between Israel and Hamas," she said.

The draft resolution had demanded "an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in Gaza respected by all parties."

It also called for the "immediate, dignified and unconditional release of all hostages held by Hamas and other groups."

Underlining a "catastrophic humanitarian situation" in the Palestinian territory, the resolution, had it passed, would have demanded the lifting of all restrictions on the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza.

The veto was the first wielded by Washington since US President Donald Trump took office in January.

Israel has faced growing international pressure to end its war in Gaza, which was triggered by the unprecedented October 7, 2023 attack by Hamas on Israeli soil.

That scrutiny has increased over flailing aid distribution in Gaza, which Israel blocked for more than two months before allowing a small number of UN vehicles to enter in mid-May.

The United Nations said that was not enough to meet the humanitarian needs.

A US-backed relief effort called the Gaza Humanitarian Fund (GHF) has also faced criticism for going against long-standing humanitarian principles by coordinating relief efforts with a military belligerent.

Israeli bombardment on Wednesday killed at least 16 people in the Gaza Strip, including 12 in a single strike on a tent housing displaced people, the Palestinian territory's civil defense agency told AFP.

On Tuesday, 27 people were killed in southern Gaza when Israeli troops opened fire near a GHF aid site, with the military saying the incident was under investigation.

Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian ambassador to the UN, on Tuesday urged the Council to act.

"All of us will be judged by history as to how much have we done in order to stop this crime against the Palestinian people," he said.

Israel's ambassador to the UN Danny Danon attacked the text ahead of the vote.

"This resolution doesn't advance humanitarian relief. It undermines it. It ignores a working system in favor of political agendas," he was to tell the council, according to remarks released by his office.

"It ignores the one party still endangering civilians in Gaza: Hamas."

Agence France-Presse