Global leaders, international human rights organizations, and United Nations representatives have condemned the United States for vetoing a UN resolution that sought an urgent humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza. The criticism stems from the U.S. failure to intervene and bring an end to the conflict, which has resulted in the tragic deaths of over 17,400 Palestinians and approximately 1,100 individuals in Israel since October 7.
A UN resolution on the pause in hostilities failed to pass on Friday at the UN Security Council after the United States vetoed the proposal and Britain abstained.
The remaining 13 of the 15 current members of the UNSC voted in favour of the resolution put forward by the United Arab Emirates and co-sponsored by 100 other countries.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas has characterized the U.S. veto as complicity in war crimes in Gaza. His office stated that the American position is viewed as aggressive, immoral, and a blatant violation of humanitarian principles. Abbas holds the United States accountable for the loss of Palestinian lives, particularly children, women, and the elderly, in the Gaza Strip. United Nations representatives
Prime Minister Mohammad Shtayyeh expressed strong disapproval, labeling the veto as a disgrace and a tacit approval for the occupying state to continue with actions leading to massacre, destruction, and displacement.
Palestine’s UN envoy Riyad Mansour described the vote’s outcome as disastrous, urging nations to stand against the war if they oppose the destruction and displacement of the Palestinian people. He emphasized the gravity of the situation, with millions of Palestinian lives hanging in the balance.
Hamas condemned the U.S. veto, denouncing it as unethical and inhumane. A member of Hamas’s political bureau, Izzat al-Risheq, stated that the obstruction of a ceasefire resolution amounts to direct participation with the occupation, leading to more Palestinian casualties, massacres, and ethnic cleansing.