US vetoes UN call for ceasefire for sixth time

The US has for the sixth time vetoed a draft resolution at the United Nations Security Council that would have demanded an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza and the release of hostages.

US deputy Middle East envoy Morgan Ortagus said the text did not go far enough in condemning Hamas or recognise Israel’s right to defend itself.

All 14 other members of the Security Council voted in favour of the draft resolution – which described the humanitarian situation in Gaza as “catastrophic” and called on Israel to lift all aid restrictions.

It comes as the UN’s humanitarian office warns that the last lifelines for civilians are collapsing in Gaza City as Israel expands its military offensive.

On the global stage, Israel and its closest ally look increasingly isolated.

Speaking prior to the vote, Ortagus said Washington’s opposition to the resolution should “come as no surprise”.

“It fails to condemn Hamas or recognise Israel’s right to defend itself, and it wrongly legitimises the false narratives benefitting Hamas, which have sadly found currency in this council,” she said.

After the vote, UN members reacted swiftly to express their disappointment.

Palestinian Ambassador to the UN Riyad Mansour called the US’s decision “deeply regrettable and painful”, saying it had prevented the Security Council from “playing its rightful role in the face of these atrocities”.

Pakistan’s ambassador Asim Ahmad described the veto as “a dark moment in this chamber”.

“The world is watching. The cries of children should pierce our hearts,” he said.

Amar Bendjama, Algeria’s ambassador, apologised to the Palestinian people.

“Palestinian brothers, Palestinian sisters, forgive us,” he said.

“Forgive us, because the world speaks of rights, but denies them to Palestinians. Forgive us because our efforts, our sincere efforts, shattered against this wall of rejection.”

This latest UN vote came just days before world leaders gather for the UN General Assembly where Gaza will be a major topic and key American allies, including the UK, are expected to recognise an independent Palestinian state.

In Gaza, thousands of people are continuing to flee the region amid ongoing deadly attacks as Israeli tanks and troops continue to advance on the third day of a ground offensive.

Olga Cherevko, a spokeswoman for the UN’s humanitarian office, told the BBC the situation in Gaza City is “nothing short of cataclysmic”.

The Israeli military launched a campaign in Gaza in response to the Hamas-led attack on southern Israel on 7 October 2023, in which about 1,200 people were killed and 251 others were taken hostage.

At least 65,141 people have been killed in Israeli attacks in Gaza since then, according to the territory’s health ministry.

The ministry says another 435 people have so far died during the war as a result of malnutrition and starvation, including four over the past 24 hours.