US Veto at UN Escalates Tensions in Gaza Conflict

The United States vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution on Friday calling for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the ongoing Israel-Hamas war, a decision that has intensified global tensions and raised concerns over the worsening humanitarian crisis in Gaza.

The Veto and Its Aftermath

The resolution, backed by Arab states and with a vote tally of 13 in favor, faced a solitary veto from the US, while the UK abstained.

Robert Wood, the US deputy representative to the UN, defended the decision, stating that the resolution overlooked US diplomatic efforts to increase aid in Gaza and secure the release of hostages taken by Hamas militants in their October 7 attack on Israel.

“We do not support this resolution’s call for an unsustainable ceasefire that will only plant the seeds for the next war,” Wood said in a statement. “We propose language … that would have reinforced life-saving diplomacy, increased opportunities for humanitarian aid, and laid a foundation for a durable peace. Unfortunately, nearly all of our recommendations were ignored.”

In response, Arab foreign ministers, including Jordan’s Ayman Safadi, met with US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Washington, expressing deep frustration. Safadi criticized the US decision as an endorsement of further Palestinian casualties and violations of international law.

International Reactions and Criticism

The US’s veto has drawn sharp criticism from various international leaders and organizations. Palestinian Authority President Mahmoud Abbas condemned the veto, holding the US responsible for the ongoing bloodshed in Gaza.

“The president has described the American position as aggressive and immoral, a flagrant violation of all humanitarian principles and values, and holds the United States responsible for the bloodshed of Palestinian children, women and elderly people in the Gaza Strip,” the statement read.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres, who invoked Article 99 of the UN Charter to address the crisis, expressed disappointment at the Security Council’s failure to pass the resolution.

“Regrettably, the Security Council failed to do it, but that does not make it less necessary. I will not give up,” he stated at the Doha Forum in Qatar.

Hamas said in a statement on Telegram they “consider the U.S. administration to be an accomplice in the killing of our people through its political and military support for the occupation to continue its genocidal war on the Gaza Strip.”

Humanitarian Crisis in Gaza

The humanitarian situation in Gaza remains dire, with the Palestinian Health Ministry reporting over 17,000 deaths, a majority being women and children. The conflict has displaced approximately two million residents, with the UN warning of the “total collapse of the humanitarian support system in Gaza.”

Israel, which has expanded its military campaign in the Gaza Strip, received support from the US veto. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu thanked the US for its firm stance.
“Israel will continue our just war to eliminate Hamas,” Netanyahu said.

The country’s U.N. ambassador said in a statement after the vote that “a ceasefire will be possible only with the return of all the hostages and the destruction of Hamas,” the Times of Israel reported.

Israeli forces claim to have killed around 7,000 Hamas militants, a figure not independently verified.

The U.S. has previously vetoed a U.N. Security Council resolution on similar grounds. Russia and China vetoed a U.S. resolution to condemn the Hamas attack, call for the release of hostages and allow aid into Gaza.

U.S Role in Israel

The US’s veto is seen as a strategic move supporting Israel’s ongoing military campaign, which aims to dismantle Hamas. However, this decision has raised ethical and diplomatic concerns, with critics accusing the US of complicity in the escalating violence and humanitarian crisis.

On Saturday, the Biden administration approved the emergency sale to Israel of nearly 14,000 rounds of tank ammunition worth more than $106 million as Israel intensifies its military operations in the southern Gaza Strip.

The move comes as President Biden’s request for a nearly $106 billion aid package for Ukraine, Israel, and other national security is causing debate in Congress.

“The United States is committed to the security of Israel, and it is vital to U.S. national interests to assist Israel to develop and maintain a strong and ready self-defense capability. This proposed sale is consistent with those objectives,” the department said in a statement. “Israel will use the enhanced capability as a deterrent to regional threats and to strengthen its homeland defense.”

At least four administrations have used the authority since 1979. President George H.W. Bush’s administration used it during the Gulf War to get arms quickly to Saudi Arabia.