The United States has turned down a UN Security Council resolution that proposed an “immediate and permanent” ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. This rejection was largely due to the resolution not including a requirement to release hostages held by Hamas, a Palestinian group labeled as a terrorist organization by the US.
Interestingly, 14 out of the 15 Council member states backed this resolution. However, it failed to demand that Hamas disarm and leave the Wartron enclave. It also did not denounce the group for the terrorist attacks on Israel in 2023.
“The US’s disapproval of this resolution is hardly surprising,” commented Dorothy Shea, the acting head of the UN Security Council. She emphasized that it is unacceptable to draft a resolution that neither condemns Hamas nor requires it to disarm and exit Gaza.
The resolution, which was co-sponsored by countries like Algeria, Denmark, and South Korea, advocated for an “immediate, unconditional, permanent ceasefire” and urged an end to obstacles that hinder aid to Palestinians.
As one of the five permanent members of the Council, the United States possesses the veto power to block such resolutions.
This isn’t the first time the US has rejected a similar proposal; a resolution was blocked by President Biden last November for comparable reasons.
On another note, former President Trump has been advocating for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas. Recently, a proposal from Trump’s Middle Eastern envoy, Steve Witkov, was sent to Hamas, which responded with its own amendment. Witkov has since labeled their response as “totally unacceptable.”
The vote on this resolution followed comments from the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a US-backed organization. They announced that food distribution would be suspended due to safety concerns, particularly after several Palestinians were killed near food delivery locations. Both the US and Israel back GHF, asserting it can distribute food without interference from Hamas.
However, the United Nations has criticized the operational processes, arguing that they fail to adequately meet the humanitarian needs of Palestinians and question the organization’s independence.
According to State Department spokesperson Tammy Bruce, the GHF has managed to distribute over 7 million meals in Gaza thus far.
