The United States on Thursday once again used its veto to block a UN Security Council resolution calling for a Gaza ceasefire, shielding Israel from mounting diplomatic pressure and drawing sharp criticism from several countries, including Pakistan. The draft resolution, backed by 14 of the 15 Council members, was introduced in August after the UN formally declared a famine in Gaza amid nearly two years of Israel’s war on Hamas. It called for “an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire” as well as the release of all hostages. The vote coincided with intensified Israeli air and ground operations in Gaza City, forcing thousands of Palestinians to flee south as tanks and warplanes pounded residential neighborhoods. Ahead of the vote, Denmark’s UN ambassador Christina Lassen urged action, warning: “A generation risks being lost not only to war but to hunger and despair.” She stressed that the Council could not “turn its back on starving civilians, the hostages, and the demand for a ceasefire.” Pakistan’s UN envoy, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, denounced Washington’s veto as “a dark moment in this chamber,” saying: “The world is watching. The cries of children should pierce our hearts.” He highlighted the worsening humanitarian crisis: “The people of Gaza are trapped between relentless bombardment and a suffocating blockade. Children are starving. Hospitals have collapsed. Families have no water, no medicine, no shelter.” The United States has vetoed similar resolutions several times this year, including in June, as it continues to provide diplomatic cover for Israel’s military campaign. The occupation army has subjected Gaza City to its most punishing attacks in two years of war, sending thousands of residents fleeing under bombs and bullets amid fear that they might never return. This is not a tragedy unfolding in silence it is happening before the eyes of the world, in plain sight, live on our screens and the front pages of newspapers.” Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad stated that in that grim setting, today’s failure sends a dangerous message: that the lives of two million besieged Palestinians are deemed expendable and can be subordinated to political considerations. ‘Genocide’ accusation The previous US veto sparked an unusual show of anger from the 14 other members of the council, who are increasingly vocal in their frustration over their apparent inability to pressure Israel to stop the suffering of Gaza’s inhabitants. For the first time Tuesday, a UN-mandated international investigative commission gave its independent analysis, accusing Israel of committing “genocide” in Gaza since October 2023 with the intent to “destroy” the Palestinians. The issue will be central to next week’s annual UN summit in New York. Israeli ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, condemned the resolution, saying that “for some members of the Council, this is a performance. For Israel, this is a daily reality. The proposal was presented without condemnation of Hamas, without condemnation of the October 7 massacre.” Danon sparred repeatedly with Algeria’s ambassador Amar Bendjama who asked Palestinian people to “forgive us because this Council could not save your children…our sincere efforts, shattered against the wall of rejection.”
Pakistan expresses regret over US veto on Gaza ceasefire at UN
