The United States vetoed a United Nations resolution on Wednesday that called for an immediate cease-fire in the ongoing Gaza conflict. The veto was based on the resolution’s lack of explicit ties to the immediate release of hostages taken by Hamas during its October 2023 attacks in Israel.
The resolution, which was sponsored by the 10 elected members of the U.N. Security Council, received overwhelming support with a 14-1 vote. However, as a permanent member of the council, the U.S. exercised its veto power, preventing its adoption.
The text of the resolution demanded an “immediate, unconditional, and permanent cease-fire” to be observed by all parties and reiterated the demand for the “immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.” While the elected members of the Security Council supported the resolution, they lack veto authority, which is reserved for the council’s five permanent members: the U.S., Russia, China, the U.K., and France.
In contrast, a U.S.-sponsored resolution adopted in June had outlined a cease-fire plan tied to a phased approach aimed at ending hostilities. That proposal was based on a cease-fire initiative announced by President Joe Biden, which the U.S. said Israel had accepted. The resolution also urged Hamas to agree to the plan, but the conflict has continued without resolution.
