America News Agency

The vetoed resolution also described the situation in Gaza as “catastrophic” and called for the “immediate and unconditional removal of all restrictions on the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza and its large-scale safe and unhindered distribution, including by the UN and humanitarian partners.”

This marks the fifth time the US has vetoed a draft Security Council ceasefire resolution in order to protect Israel. In November, under the Biden administration, Washington vetoed a similar resolution on the grounds that the ceasefire request was not directly tied to the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages held by Hamas.

The resolution was jointly supported by Algeria, Denmark, Greece, Guyana, Pakistan, Panama, South Korea, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, and Somalia. Russia, China, France, and the United Kingdom also voted in favor.

France’s ambassador to the UN, Jérôme Bonnafont, said: “Despite the fact that most of us share the same opinion, the Council was prevented from taking responsibility.”

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said after the vote: “Today, the US sent a strong message by vetoing an ineffective UN Security Council resolution on Gaza that targeted Israel.”

He added that Washington will not support any text “that creates a false equivalence between Israel and Hamas or disregards Israel’s right to self-defense.”