US vetoes UN resolution demanding Gaza ceasefire over hostage release concern

The US has vetoed a UN Security Council resolution supported by the UK that called for a permanent ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and the unconditional release of all hostages, but did not appear to make one contingent on the other.r.

Ambassador Barbara Woodward, the UK Permanent Representative to the UN, said:”We voted for this resolution as an expression of our determination to end this war, stop the suffering in Gaza and secure the immediate release of the hostages.”

But Jewish News understands that the UK had actually proposed new language that the US would have supported as a compromise, but this was rejected by other elected members.

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The text, vetoed by the US, called for an “immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire” and, in the same sentence, for an “immediate and unconditional release of all hostages,” although it did not draw an explicit link between them.

American officials later briefed that some members seemed more determined to provoke a veto by the US than they were in reaching a compromise draft.

It was suggested Russia and China had seemingly encouraged a scenario in which the US would veto the resultion.

“China kept demanding ‘stronger language’ and Russia appeared to be pulling strings with various… members,” the official was reported to have briefed journalists after Wednessay’s vote.

The text called for an “immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire” and, in the same sentence, for an “immediate and unconditional release of all hostages,” although it did not draw an explicit link between them.

Deputy US Ambassador to the UN Robert Wood said:“A durable end to the war must come with the release of the hostages. These two urgent goals are inextricably linked. This resolution abandoned that necessity, and for that reason, the United States could not support it.”

All the other members of the 15-seat council voted in favour of the resolution, which was sponsored by the panel’s 10 non-permanent members, Algeria, Ecuador, Guyana, Japan, Malta, Mozambique, South Korea, Sierra Leone, Slovenia and Switzerland.

In a statement Ambassdor Woodward said:” The United Kingdom voted for this resolution as an expression of our determination to end this war, stop the suffering in Gaza and secure the immediate release of the hostages.

“The UK remains resolute in our call for an immediate ceasefire, the immediate release of all hostages cruelly held by Hamas since 7 October 2023, and urgent action to address the humanitarian crisis.

“The deterioration of the humanitarian situation in Gaza is catastrophic and unacceptable.

“All of Gaza is at the risk of famine, and in some areas, this is likely to be imminent. Yet the aid reaching civilians remains entirely insufficient to mitigate this unfolding disaster.

“The unthinkable hardship that civilians are already facing in Gaza is set to get even worse as winter approaches. Israel must take urgent action to alleviate this crisis. International humanitarian law must be respected by all sides.

“We regret that the Council was unable to reach a consensus on this issue.

“But colleagues, we remain committed to the vision of this text. And we will keep striving, alongside our partners, to bring this war to a close. To secure the release of the hostages. And to secure a huge scale up in aid and to protect civilians.”

In March, the US had abstained on a resolution that called for an immediate ceasefire during the Ramadan holy month along with an immediate and unconditional release of the hostages in Gaza.

Asked about the apparent discrepancy with the latest decision to veto, a US official told The Times of Israel that the March resolution was time-bound, whereas Wednesday’s was not.

The US has previously vetoed resolutions of three other occasions, but in June, one ponsored by the US, that backed a staged ceasefire proposal being brokered at the time by Washington, Egypt and Qatar was passed.