US "Cannot Support Ceasefire Without Explicit Hostage Release"
Other Board Members "Deep Regret"
A United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire between Israel and the Palestinian armed faction Hamas failed to be adopted due to a U.S. veto. The United States, a permanent member of the Security Council, vetoed the ceasefire resolution in support of Israel's position.
On the 20th (local time), the Security Council held a meeting on the Middle East situation and put to a vote a Gaza war ceasefire resolution proposed by the 10 elected members (E10) of the Council.
US representative exercising veto power on the UN Security Council's Gaza ceasefire resolution. Photo by Xinhua News Agency
The resolution called for all parties to respect an immediate, unconditional, and permanent ceasefire and demanded the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.
Among the 15 Security Council members, 14 countries including South Korea voted in favor of the resolution. However, the United States, a permanent member, exercised its veto power, preventing the resolution from being adopted. No country abstained.
For the resolution to pass, it must receive the support of at least 9 of the 15 Security Council members, and none of the five permanent members?United States, China, Russia, United Kingdom, and France?may exercise their veto.
Robert Wood, U.S. Deputy Ambassador to the UN, pointed out, "We made it clear throughout the negotiations that we cannot support an unconditional ceasefire that does not secure the release of hostages." He added, "A sustainable end to the war must be achieved alongside the release of hostages, and these two goals are inextricably linked. The United States could not support this resolution because it ignored this necessity."
Danny Danon, Israel's Ambassador to the UN, criticized the resolution before the Security Council meeting, calling it an appeasement of Hamas. He asserted, "History will remember who stood with the hostages and who abandoned them."
Other Council members who supported the ceasefire resolution expressed regret.
Vanessa Fraser, Malta's Ambassador to the UN, stated that the resolution contained "only the minimum necessary content to address the urgent local situation" and expressed "deep regret that the Security Council once again failed to fulfill its responsibility to maintain international peace and security due to the veto."
Nicole de Rivi?re, France's Ambassador to the UN, said contrary to the U.S. claim, the resolution strongly demanded the release of hostages. She expressed, "We deeply regret that the Security Council failed to produce a demand for the release of hostages while two French hostages remain in the Gaza Strip."
Hwang Jun-guk, South Korea's Ambassador to the UN, said, "It is regrettable that the draft resolution did not receive the necessary support for adoption." He continued, "As repeatedly pointed out, humanitarian efforts cannot yield substantial results amid ongoing armed conflict in the Gaza Strip. An immediate ceasefire is not a choice but the only way to save lives within Gaza."
On the same day, the E10 members issued a joint statement expressing "deep disappointment" over the failure to adopt the resolution and said, "We are deeply committed to the Security Council's responsibility to maintain international peace and will continue to make our best efforts to promote unity within the Council on this critical issue."
Meanwhile, according to the Associated Press, Hamas issued a statement claiming, "The United States has directly intervened in the aggression against our people, acting as an accomplice in killing children and women in Gaza and completely destroying civilian life." It demanded, "If the United States wants to end the war and achieve safety and stability in the region, it must stop these clumsy hostile policies."
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