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UN/Cairo/Jerusalem, June 4 (Reuters) – The United States on Wednesday rejected a UN Security Council resolution calling for an “immediate, unconditional, permanent ceasefire” between Israel in Gaza and Hamas militants, demanding unhindered access to the entire war-torn Enclave.
The other 14 countries on the council voted in favor of the draft as the humanitarian crisis grasps enclaves of more than 2 million people. Hunger and aid have been dripping since Israel lifted its 11-week lockdown last month.
“The United States was clear. It would not fail to condemn Hamas and support any measures that would not require Hamas to disarm and leave Gaza.
Washington is Israel’s largest ally and arms supplier.
After a two-month ceasefire in March, a Security Council vote was held as Israel advances with its attacks in Gaza. Gaza Health Authorities said the Israeli strike killed 45 people on Wednesday, but Israel said soldiers had died in the battle.
British UN ambassador Barbara Woodward criticized the Israeli government’s decision to expand military operations in Gaza and strictly limit humanitarian aid as “unfair, disproportionate and counterproductive.”
Israel rejected an unconditional or permanent ceasefire call, saying Hamas could not stay in Gaza. “You chose to ease and submit. You chose a path that would not lead to peace,” Israel’s UN ambassador to the UN Danny Danon told the councillor who voted in favor of the draft.
Hamas condemned the US veto and described it as indicating “blind bias of the US administration” against Israel. The Security Council resolution required immediate and unconditional release of all hostages held by Hamas and others.
Rival assistance operation
The war in Gaza has been raging since 2023 after Hamas militants killed 1,200 people in Israel in the attack on October 7th and returned about 250 hostages to the enclave, according to Israeli tallies. Many of the people killed or captured were civilians.
Israel responded with a military operation that killed more than 54,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza Health Authorities. They say civilians are bearing the brunt of the attack, and thousands more bodies have been lost under the tiled rub.
Israel has allowed unused delivery, which was restricted on May 19, to resume under global pressure. A week later, a new controversial aid distribution system was launched by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, supported by the US and Israel.
Israel has long accused Hamas of stealing aid, but the group has denied it. Israel and the United States are urging the UN to work through the GHF. GHF uses private US security and logistics companies to transport aid to Gaza for distribution on so-called secure distribution sites.
“No one wants to see Palestinian civilians in Gaza get hungry or thirsty,” Siah told the Security Council, adding that the resolution “does not acknowledge the disastrous flaws of previous methods of providing aid.”
The UN and international aid groups have refused to cooperate with the GHF. Because they say it is not neutral, they militarize aid and force the evacuation of Palestinians.
Aid was not distributed Wednesday by the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, US-backed, as it pushed Israeli forces to increase civilian security across the boundaries of so-called safe distribution sites after the fatal incident on Tuesday.
The GHF said it had called on Israeli forces to “steer pedestrians in a way that minimizes the risk of confusion and escalation.”
“Delay and rejection”
GHF posted on Facebook that “continuous maintenance work” would delay the opening of the distribution site on Thursday. On Tuesday, he said that since it began operations, it has distributed more than 7 million meals so far.
Despite us and Israel’s criticism of the unpublished Gaza aid campaign, the US ceasefire plan proposes providing assistance through the United Nations, Red Crescent and other agreed channels. Israel has agreed to a ceasefire plan, but Hamas is calling for changes the US rejected, saying it was “completely unacceptable.”
Prior to the UN Security Council vote, UN Aid Chief Tom Fletcher once again appealed for the UN and aid groups to be allowed to support the people of Gaza, emphasizing that they have plans, supplies and experience.
“Open the intersection. Let go of the life-saving aids from all directions, from all directions. We will lift the limits of aid we can bring in.
The UN has Israel and torts in its enclaves to prevent aid to Gaza and distribution across war zones.
“There is enough suffering for civilians. There is enough food used as weapons. Enough enough is enough,” Slovenia’s UN ambassador to UN Samuel Zbogal told the Security Council.
A similar humanitarian-focused draft resolution is expected to vote at the 193-person UN General Assembly.
Danon warned, “Don’t waste more of your time, as there are no resolutions, no votes, no moral failures, no interrupting us.”
(Additional report by Menna Ala El Din; Written by Michelle Nichols and Crispian Ballmer, Edited by Stephen Coates, Philippa Fletcher and Cynthia Osterman)
