The U.S. vetoed the fourth attempt to pass a U.N. Security Council resolution for a cease-fire in Gaza on Wednesday, as the humanitarian situation deteriorates in the blockaded Palestinian enclave.
The 15-member council voted on a resolution put forward by its 10 non-permanent members in a meeting that called for an "immediate, unconditional and permanent cease-fire" and separately demanded the release of hostages.
Only the U.S. voted against it, using its veto as a permanent council member to block the resolution.
A senior U.S. official, who briefed reporters on condition of anonymity ahead of the vote, said the U.S. would only support a resolution that explicitly calls for the immediate release of hostages as part of a cease-fire.
"As we stated many times before, we just can't support an unconditional cease-fire that does not call for the immediate release of hostages," the official said.
Israel's 13-month attacks in Gaza have killed nearly 44,000 people and displaced nearly all the enclave's population at least once.
Some of the council's 10 elected members (E10) were more interested in bringing about a U.S. veto than compromising on the resolution, the official said, accusing Russia and China of encouraging those members.
"China kept demanding 'stronger language' and Russia appeared to be pulling strings with various (elected) 10 members," the official said. "This really does undercut the narrative that this was an organic reflection of the E10 and there's some sense that some E10 members regret that those responsible for the drafting allowed the process to be manipulated for what we consider to be cynical purposes."
Ahead of the expected U.S. veto, Carolyn Rodrigues-Birkett, Guyana's envoy to the U.N., said that "the resolution before the Council is the product of several weeks of consultations among all council members."
"It was prompted by the Council's deep concern over the catastrophic humanitarian situation in Gaza, including what was unfolding in North Gaza, and the need for an urgent response to that situation," she said.
U.S. deputy envoy to U.N. Robert Wood said after the vote, "We made clear throughout negotiations we could not support an unconditional cease-fire that failed to release the hostages," and that "a durable end to the war must come with the release of the hostages."
"Simply put, this resolution would have sent a dangerous message to Hamas. There's no need to come back to the negotiating table," he added, accusing the Palestinian resistance group of rejecting cease-fire deals.
The U.S. previously vetoed three Security Council draft resolutions that called for an urgent cease-fire in Gaza.
The U.S. vetoed resolutions in October 2023, December 2023 and in February, while abstaining in votes on other draft resolutions.
