By Nurul Nabihah
Edited by Harith Syafiee
Linda Thomas-Greenfield of the United States vetoed a draft resolution in the UNSC meeting| Source: United Nations
NEW YORK CITY, 23rd February 2024: The United States once again vetoed a resolution proposed in the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) meeting for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, while 13 other countries supported the resolution and Britain abstained.
The resolution, drafted by Algeria, demands an end to violations of international laws, unconditional release of hostages, uninterrupted humanitarian access to Gaza, and for the Council to reject the forced displacement of Palestinian civilians.
Linda Thomas-Greenfield, Washington's ambassador to the UN, said that the unconditional release of hostages would lead to an unsustainable peace. She also noted the resolution would put Washington’s negotiations with Qatar and Egypt for hostage release at risk.
The United States (US) instead proposed a resolution that supported a temporary ceasefire for the first time, in exchange for the release of hostages and called for an immediate halt to the fighting.
Both allies and rivals express dissatisfaction over the US’s decision to block the resolution. Zhang Jun, Beijing's ambassador to the UN, said the veto would only allow Israel to continue its slaughter in Gaza. Nicolas de Riviere, Paris’s envoy to the UN, expressed regret for the failure to implement the resolution considering the catastrophic state of Gaza at the moment.
Reaching the four-month mark of the genocide, Israel has been put under the international spotlight for the extreme extent of atrocities committed in Gaza, with both leaders and the public citing the high civilian death toll.
Washington has wielded its veto for the third time in UNSC to block resolutions for a halt in fighting in Gaza, emphasising its continued support of Israel.
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