The United States once again blocked the adoption of a UN Security Council resolution calling for a ceasefire and humanitarian access in Gaza, provoking widespread anger among member states. Fourteen members voted in favor, but Washington’s sole veto killed the motion, underscoring the Council’s inability to halt the suffering of civilians in the besieged enclave.
Pakistan’s Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad called it a “bleak moment,” declaring, “The world is watching. The cries of children should break our hearts, and the anguish of mothers should shake our conscience.” Algeria’s envoy Amar Bendjama apologized directly to the people of Gaza: “We are sorry that the world speaks of rights yet denies yours, the Palestinians’.”
The draft, crafted in late August after the UN formally declared famine in Gaza, demanded the immediate lifting of barriers to aid deliveries, a permanent and unconditional ceasefire, and the release of all hostages. The US argued the text “failed to reflect realities on the ground,” citing increased aid flows. Israel’s Ambassador Danny Danon condemned it as “capitulation” for not explicitly denouncing Hamas.
Denmark’s Ambassador Christina Markus Lassen explained the effort aimed to send a message that the Security Council “is not turning its back on starving civilians or hostages” and urged action to prevent an entire generation from being lost to war, hunger, and despair.
The issue will dominate next week’s high-level UN General Assembly session. Israel faces growing international pressure nearly two years into a war sparked by Hamas’s unprecedented October 7, 2023 assault. Despite limited easing of the blockade in May, aid entering Gaza remains inadequate. On August 22, the UN officially declared famine in the territory, blaming Israel, which rejected the findings. Adding to tensions, an independent UN-mandated commission recently accused Israel of committing “genocide,” a charge Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s government denounced as “outrageous.”
