US opposes UN security council's Gaza ceasefire proposal, calls for hostage release

The United States has vetoed a UN Security Council resolution calling for a ceasefire in the ongoing Israel-Gaza conflict. The resolution, which was proposed by the council’s 10 non-permanent members, demanded an "immediate, unconditional, and permanent ceasefire" and called for the release of hostages. The U.S. was the only member to vote against it, using its veto power as a permanent council member to block the resolution.

A senior U.S. official, speaking on condition of anonymity, criticized the council for rejecting attempts to reach a compromise. The official emphasized that the U.S. would only support a ceasefire resolution that explicitly includes a provision for the immediate release of hostages. "As we have stated repeatedly, we cannot support a ceasefire that does not call for the immediate release of hostages," the official said.

Prior to the vote, the UK proposed revised language in an effort to reach a compromise that the U.S. would have supported, but it was rejected by other council members. The official claimed that some of the 10 elected members of the council were more focused on provoking a U.S. veto than on compromising, accusing Russia and China of influencing these members. "China kept demanding stronger language, and Russia seemed to be orchestrating the actions of various elected members," the official said, adding that this undermined the legitimacy of the resolution’s drafting process and suggesting that some members of the E10 regretted the way the process was manipulated.