U.S. Blocks U.N. Security Council Call for Immediate Gaza Ceasefire

On Wednesday, the United States exercised its veto power to block a United Nations Security Council resolution calling for an immediate and unconditional ceasefire in Gaza. The resolution also demanded the release of all hostages and the restoration of full humanitarian aid access to the territory.

The resolution was introduced by ten nonpermanent members of the 15-member Council and marked the first time since 2017 that a ceasefire proposal related to the Israel-Hamas conflict in Gaza was brought to a vote.

While the United States stood alone in opposing the measure, the remaining 14 Council members, including Russia, supported the resolution. This outcome underscored Washington’s continuing diplomatic isolation over its unwavering support for Israel amid escalating tensions.

Ahead of the vote, Slovenia’s ambassador to the U.N., Samuel Zbogar, read a statement on behalf of the ten nonpermanent members emphasizing broad Council consensus that hostilities in Gaza must cease immediately, all hostages should be released without conditions, and civilians must have unrestricted access to humanitarian aid.

For a Security Council resolution to pass, it requires at least nine affirmative votes and no vetoes from any of the five permanent members: Britain, China, France, Russia, and the United States. Since the outbreak of hostilities following Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel, the U.S. has vetoed four ceasefire resolutions and abstained on one, which ultimately passed in June.

The acting U.S. representative to the United Nations, Dorothy Camille Shea, reiterated the country’s position that Israel has the right to defend itself. She attributed the ongoing suffering of Palestinians to Hamas and stated that the conflict would end if the group surrendered.