The United States has again vetoed a draft UN Security Council resolution on Israel’s war on Gaza, drawing widespread criticism from rivals and allies.
Tuesday’s move was the third U.S. veto of a U.N. Security Council resolution demanding a ceasefire in Gaza, and comes a day after Washington released a resolution that would support a temporary ceasefire. linked to the release of all Israeli captives from the Palestinian enclave.
The vote in the 15-member council was 13-1, with the UK abstaining, reflecting strong support from countries around the world to end the devastating conflict that has killed more than 29,000 Palestinians.
Here’s how countries and world leaders reacted.
China
Zhang Jun, China’s envoy to the UN, expressed “strong disappointment and dissatisfaction” with the United States, according to the Xinhua news agency.
“The US veto sends the wrong message, making the situation in Gaza even more dangerous,” Zhang said, adding that opposing a ceasefire in Gaza is “nothing different than giving the green light in pursuit of the massacre.
“Only by extinguishing the flames of war in Gaza can the world prevent the fires of hell from engulfing the entire region,” he said, as quoted by Xinhua.
Russia
Russia’s Ambassador to the UN, Vasily Nebenzia, said the US veto marked “another black page in the history of the Security Council”.
He accused the United States of trying to buy time so Israel could carry out its “inhumane plans” for Gaza, namely to oust Palestinians from the territory and completely “cleanse” the enclave.
He added that, as bitter as the “aftertaste” of the vote may be, “we are in no mood to give up.”
France
The French envoy to the UN, Nicolas de Rivière, regretted that the resolution “could not be adopted, given the disastrous situation” in Gaza.
De Rivière added that France, which voted for the resolution, would continue to work to ensure that all captives were released and that a ceasefire was “implemented immediately.”
France regrets that the resolution 🇩🇿 calling for a ceasefire in Gaza could not be adopted, given the disastrous situation on the ground.
All hostages must be released now and a ceasefire implemented immediately.
France will remain committed to this in the United Nations Security Council. pic.twitter.com/dqwSWwgVQZ
—Nicolas de Rivière (@NDeRiviere) February 20, 2024
Algeria
The Algerian envoy said the UN Security Council had “failed once again” and warned the move could have profound consequences for the entire Middle East.
“Our message to you today is that the international community must respond to calls to end the massacres of Palestinians by calling for an immediate ceasefire. All those who oppose such calls should rethink their policies and calculations, because bad decisions today will have a cost for our region and our world tomorrow. And that price will be violence and instability,” said Amar Bendjama.
“So ask yourself, examine your conscience. What will be the consequences of your decisions today? How will history judge you?
Palestine
Palestinian envoy to the UN Riyad Mansour told Tel Aviv Tribune the US veto was “very regrettable”.
“Call it what you want, humanitarian, describe it what you want, but an immediate ceasefire, as the UN Secretary-General, and almost every UN humanitarian agency, has called for, and a large number of countries in the General Assembly,” he said.
“This is not the right message that the Security Council is sending to Israel.
“We will continue to knock on the door of the Security Council, the General Assembly and all components of the United Nations,” he added.
Hamas
The Palestinian group said the decision by US President Joe Biden’s administration to block the Algerian draft resolution benefits the Israeli occupation agenda, which aims to “kill and displace” Palestinians.
“President Joe Biden and his administration bear direct responsibility for the derailment of the ceasefire resolution in Gaza,” Hamas said in a statement. “The US position is seen as a green light for the occupation to commit more massacres and kill our innocents through bombing and starvation. »
Palestinian Authority
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas’ office said the US veto defied the international community and gave Israel “an additional green light for the Israeli occupation to continue its aggression against the people of Gaza and launch a bloody attack on Rafah.”
The Palestinian presidency also said it held the US administration responsible for “supporting and protecting” Israel’s “barbaric attacks” on children, women and the elderly in Gaza.
“This policy makes the United States a partner in the crimes of genocide and ethnic cleansing and war crimes committed by Israeli forces,” the office said.
Qatar
Qatar’s Ambassador to the UN, Alya Ahmed Saif Al Thani, said she regretted the failure of the UN Security Council to adopt the resolution proposed by Algeria and pledged to continue to facilitate efforts to secure a truce in Gaza.
Saudi Arabia
The Saudi Foreign Ministry expressed “regret” over the veto and stressed the “need, now more than ever, to reform the Security Council so that it can fulfill its responsibilities in maintaining peace and security with credibility and without double standards.”
#Statement | The Ministry of Foreign Affairs expresses the regrets of the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia following the veto of the draft resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in the country. #Gaza strip and its surroundings, which Algeria submitted to the Security Council on behalf of the Arab countries. pic.twitter.com/6S0COWbERD
— Ministry of Foreign Affairs 🇸🇦 (@KSAmofaEN) February 20, 2024
Norway
The Norwegian mission to the UN said it “regrets” that the Council was unable to adopt a resolution on an immediate humanitarian ceasefire.
“It is imperative to end the horror in Gaza,” he adds.
Norway regrets that the #UNSC once again it was unable to adopt a resolution on an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in #Gaza.
It is imperative to end the horror in Gaza. pic.twitter.com/9Sh3ntIQty– NorwayUN (@NorwayUN) February 20, 2024
Cuba
Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel Bermudez blasted the United States, saying its veto made it complicit in Israeli crimes against the Palestinians.
“The United States has once again vetoed the UN Security Council resolution that demanded an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and an end to the forced displacement of the Palestinian population,” Bermudez said in a message published on social networks. “They are complicit in this genocide by Israel against Palestine. »
Amnesty International
Agnès Callamard, the rights group’s director, said Washington had a chance to protect Palestinian civilians but had chosen “the opposite path” at the UN Security Council.
“And again… when the United States could do the right thing: protect the Palestinians from grave risks of genocide; respect international law and universality; to prevent mass killings and suffering – he chose the opposite path,” Callamard said.
Council on American-Islamic Relations (CAIR)
CAIR Director Nihad Awad said Muslim Americans were “running out of words” to condemn Biden’s support for “genocide” in Gaza.
“The latest US veto of a UN ceasefire resolution is shameful. President Biden should stop acting like Benjamin Netanyahu’s lawyer and start acting like the president of the United States,” Awad said in a statement.
“We call on the American people to continue to express their opposition to the Biden administration’s support for the Israeli government’s war crimes by contacting the White House and its elected officials and calling on them to demand a ceasefire, access to humanitarian aid and the continuation of peace efforts. a just and lasting peace.
