The United States vetoed a UN Security Council Draft Resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, the unconditional release of the hostages, and a surge in the delivery of humanitarian assistance into Gaza unhindered by the Israeli army on 18 September, the sixth time that it has vetoed similar resolutions since the Hamas attacks on southern Israel on 7 October 2023.
This latest resolution called on United Nations agencies to shoulder the main responsibility for the delivery and distribution of aid within the Gaza Strip. It was put to a vote by the ten non-Permanent Members of the council, namely Algeria, Denmark, Greece, Guyana, Pakistan, Panama, the Republic of Korea, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, and Somalia.
The 14 other members on the Security Council, aside from the United States, including all other four Permanent Members – China, France, Great Britain, and Russia – all voted for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
Taking the floor to explain the US veto, US Representative Morgan Ortagus said that it had vetoed the Draft Resolution on the grounds that it failed “to condemn Hamas, [omitted] a recognition of Israel’s right to defend itself, and it wrongly legitimises the false narrative benefitting Hamas which has sadly found currency in this council.”
Danish Ambassador Christina Marcus Lassen replied, stressing that “even though this resolution was not adopted, today at this 10,000th meeting of the council, 14 members of this council have sent a clear message.” This was that “we want to see an immediate and lasting ceasefire, the immediate and unconditional release of all the hostages, and the urgent lifting of all restrictions on humanitarian aid. We will continue to work for this for however many council meetings it may take.”
While the Security Council was discussing the Draft Resolution supported by all ten non-Permanent Members, the United Nations humanitarian office warned that the last lifelines for civilians are collapsing in Gaza City as Israel expands its military attacks against the Palestinians.
Two days later, it was reported that the US administration was seeking congressional approval to sell Israel $6.4 billion worth of arms and support equipment, including 30 attack helicopters (AH-64 Apache attack helicopters), and $1.9 billion for 3,250 infantry assault vehicles. It was also asking for another $750 million worth of support parts for armoured personnel carriers and power supplies.
It is thus little wonder that the Israeli military has been expanding its operations in Gaza and has been predicting that the attacks against Gaza City will take a few months more. US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said during his recent visit to Israel on 14-15 September that he doubted that diplomacy has a chance under the present circumstances in reaching a ceasefire deal and the release of the hostages.
On 11 December 2023, I wrote an article in Al-Ahram Weekly headlined “A Shameful Veto,” in which I discussed the third US veto in the span of two months after 7 October 2023 of a UN Security Council Draft Resolution calling for an “humanitarian ceasefire” in Gaza. This third American veto came during a special session of the Security Council on 8 December 2023 to vote on a Draft Resolution submitted by the UAE, the Arab member of the council at the time.
The draft called for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and the unconditional release of all hostages, while also demanding a surge in humanitarian assistance to Gaza. Thirteen Members of the Council voted for it, and the UK abstained.
In explaining the US veto, the then American Representative Robert Wood said that “this [resolution] is not only unrealistic but dangerous. It would simply leave Hamas in place, able to regroup and repeat what it did on October 7.” While the council was discussing the Draft Resolution, the then US administration, headed by former Democratic Party president Joe Biden, approved the shipment of 13,000 tank shells worth $105 million to Israel.
Almost two years later and under Republican President Donald Trump, the US delegation to the United Nations vetoed a sixth UN Security Council Draft Resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. In December 2023, the number of Palestinians killed was reported to be 15,000 innocent men, women, children, and the elderly. Today, the more sombre numbers stand at 66,000 innocent Palestinians who have lost their lives thanks not only to the uninterrupted flow of arms from the US to Israel, but also to the political and diplomatic cover provided to Israel by two US administrations, one Democrat and one Republican.
Can we still believe that the United States is really interested in or committed to an honourable and sustainable peace in the Middle East, given its treatment of UN resolutions with regard to the Palestinian question?
I doubt it.
In this context, it was equally concerning that during a telephone call made by Rubio to Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan Al Saud on 21 September, the discussions, according to a readout from the US State Department, focused on efforts “to return the hostages… address urgent humanitarian needs, and ensure Hamas plays no role in the future of Gaza.”
There was no mention of an immediate ceasefire, nor of a halt to the relentless Israeli assault on Gaza City, nor of ending the forced displacement of the Palestinians in Gaza.
The writer is former assistant foreign minister.
* A version of this article appears in print in the 25 September, 2025 edition of Al-Ahram Weekly
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