The resolution put to vote called for “an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire that will be respected by all parties.”
advertisementThe United States vetoed a UN resolution calling for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip, saying it did not condition the release of hostages.
The 15-member UN Security Council voted 14 to 1 in favor of a resolution calling for “an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire to be respected by all parties, and further calling for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.” ”
The United States was the only country to oppose this text. The United States is one of five permanent members with veto power, along with Russia, China, Britain and France, giving it the power to block decisions that other countries do not have.
Deputy U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Robert Wood said Wednesday that the United States would only support resolutions that explicitly call for the immediate release of the hostages.
“Let me be clear: there are still seven American citizens in the hands of Hamas. We won’t forget them. “We will continue to pursue a diplomatic solution that brings peace, security and freedom to the Palestinians in Gaza,” he said at a United Nations polling station in Washington.
Separately, the Senate on Wednesday rejected Bernie Sanders’ attempt to block the sale of offensive weapons to Israel for its war in Gaza, which has resulted in rising civilian deaths.
A Vermont lawmaker and a handful of Democratic lawmakers were trying to get a bill up for a Senate vote that would block the sale of some tank and mortar shells and smart bomb kits to Israel. The first attempt to block the sale was overwhelmingly rejected, and two more were expected to fail.
In calling for a halt to sales, Sanders said Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government was not simply waging war against Hamas. “We launched an all-out war against the Palestinian people.”
Local health authorities said that more than 44,000 Palestinians have died as a result of Israel’s fierce revenge war in the Gaza Strip. The October 7 attack killed about 1,200 people in Israel, most of them civilians. Another 250 people were kidnapped. About 100 hostages remain in Gaza, at least a third of whom are believed to be dead.
ceasefire agreement in Lebanon
Meanwhile, in Lebanon, a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hezbollah was showing signs of progress. But Israel’s defense minister said his country wanted the right to act militarily under the agreement to end the fight against Hezbollah.
The Lebanese government is likely to view such demands as a violation of its sovereignty, complicating efforts to end the year-long war between Israel and Hezbollah that erupted into full-scale fighting last September.
video editor • Laurie Elliot Armstrong
