US vetoes UN Security Council resolution demanding Gaza ceasefire

The United States has vetoed a UN Security Council resolution calling for an “immediate, unconditional and permanent” ceasefire between Israel and the militant group Hamas in Gaza.

The United States on Wednesday vetoed a UN Security Council resolution calling for an “immediate, unconditional and permanent” ceasefire between Israel and the militant group Hamas in Gaza. The US was the only nation to oppose the resolution. Fourteen others, including the United Kingdom, voted in favor. There were no abstentions. Dorothy Camille Shea, the United States ambassador to the UN, said the US opposed the resolution because it did not call for Hamas to disarm and leave Gaza. “(The resolution) is unacceptable for what it does say, it is unacceptable for what it does not say, and it is unacceptable for the manner in which it has been advanced,” she said in comments before the vote took place. The US “has taken the very clear position since this conflict began that Israel has a right to defend itself, which includes defeating Hamas and ensuring they are never again in a position to threaten Israel. In this regard, any product that undermines our close ally Israel’s security is a nonstarter,” she added. This is not the first time the US has vetoed a UN Security Council draft resolution on Gaza. In November 2024, it vetoed one calling for an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire, on the grounds it would not have secured the release of hostages.