On Tuesday, the United States vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution draft on the Israel/Hamas war and blocked a demand for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire.
Instead, this veto pushes the forces of the 15-member body to push for a temporary ceasefire linked to the release of hostages held by Hamas.
United States Vetoes UN Ceasefire
The council members who voted, thirteen in all, voted in favor of a draft crafted by Algeria.
Britain abstained from voting. This was the third time the United States leveraged its veto power in such a manner since the start of the current hostilities in Gaza and the West Bank.
"A vote in favor of this draft resolution is support to the Palestinians' right to life. Conversely, voting against it implies an endorsement of the brutal violence and collective punishment inflicted upon them," Algeria's U.N. Ambassador Amar Bendjama told the council before the vote.
Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the U.S. Ambassador to the U.N., alerted the council to the prospect of the United States vetoing the draft on Saturday.
The U.S. contends that such a draft could jeopardize discussions currently underway between the U.S., Egypt, Israel, and Qatar geared toward brokering a ceasefire and release of hostages.
"Demanding an immediate, unconditional ceasefire without an agreement requiring Hamas to release the hostages will not bring about a durable peace. Instead, it could extend the fighting between Hamas and Israel," Thomas-Greenfield told the council ahead of the vote.
The Algerian Draft
The Algerian draft did not link a ceasefire to the release of hostages. Instead, it demanded an immediate ceasefire on the grounds of humanitarian concerns as well as the unconditional release of all hostages.
"Simply calling for a ceasefire - as this resolution does - will not make it happen," Britain's U.N. Ambassador Barbara Woodward told the council after the vote. "The way to stop the fighting, and potentially stop it from restarting, is to begin with a pause to get hostages out and aid in."
The United States proposed a rival draft that called for a temporary ceasefire and opposed a ground offensive in Rafah by Israel, according to Reuters.
Washington had previously avoided using the word ceasefire in any U.N. action on the conflict, but the U.S. wording now echoes the language used by President Joe Biden in a conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week.
The U.S. draft resolution would see the Security Council "underscore its support for a temporary ceasefire in Gaza as soon as practicable, based on the formula of all hostages being released, and calls for lifting all barriers to the provision of humanitarian assistance at scale."
