U.S. Uses Veto to Block UN Resolution Demanding Aid Access to Gaza

2025-09-21 02:07:14

(MENAFN) The United States vetoed a United Nations Security Council draft resolution on Thursday that sought to compel Israel to lift all restrictions on humanitarian access in Gaza and demand an immediate, permanent ceasefire.

The resolution, proposed by the 10 elected members of the 15-member Security Council, also called for the unconditional and dignified release of all hostages held by Hamas and other militant groups. While the draft earned 14 votes in favor, the U.S., a permanent member with veto power, rejected the measure.

The veto sparked widespread condemnation within the Security Council.

Algerian UN Ambassador Amar Bendjama expressed outrage, stating that the 14 countries supporting the resolution acted "with conscience" and in response to global public outcry. He referred to the outcome as "another scar of the conscience of humanity," adding, "It is a shame in the face of a genocide unfolding before open eyes."

Bendjama emphasized the urgency of the situation, declaring, "And at this moment, there can be no ambiguity. Each of us must choose either to act to stop the genocide, or to be counted among those who were complicit."

Somali UN Ambassador Abukar Dahir Osman called the vote "a profound moral failure," underscoring that the resolution was grounded in the core principles of the UN Charter, which all member states are bound to uphold. "Yet, time and again, the Security Council has been blocked from action," he said.

China’s Permanent Representative to the UN, Fu Cong, voiced strong disappointment with the veto, emphasizing that the ongoing genocide in Gaza has created a "catastrophic humanitarian disaster," which has persisted for nearly two years. "The Security Council has tried time and again to act. Yet every time its attempts were blocked by the United States," Fu said.

The Security Council’s failure to reach a resolution highlights the deep divisions over how to address the ongoing crisis in Gaza, with the U.S. maintaining its opposition to calls for an immediate ceasefire.

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