The Council met on Thursday to vote on an immediate ceasefire resolution in Gaza that the U.S. vetoed against the wishes of the other 14 Council members.
By Joe Lauria
Special to Consortium News
As it did five times before, the United States on Thursday afternoon once again defied the will of the U.N. Security Council and vetoed a resolution calling for an end to the hostilities in Gaza.
The resolution demanded “an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in Gaza respected by all parties,” AFP reported. It also called for increased delivery of humanitarian aid and unconditional release of hostages.
The French news agency quoted an unnamed diplomat saying the vote was taken to force Washington’s hand and expose its support for Israel’s attacks to continue.
“Not even trying just makes it too easy for the US, (in) that they don’t have to justify (it) and confront 14 members of the council and the world public,” the diplomat said. “It doesn’t help much the Palestinians on the ground but at least we keep showing that we are trying.”
The United States confronts a growing wall of resistance as worldwide condemnation of Israel spreads. This week a U.N.-commissioned panel concluded that Israel was committing genocide in Gaza.
Regarding that report, U.S. diplomat Morgan Ortagus, in a strident defense of Israel’s genocide, told the Council:
“Because there have been several references to a report that was released earlier this week by the so-called Commission of Inquiry, the United States wanted to clarify the record. To be clear, we consider this a slanderous report that lacks any credibility. This report presents lies and distortions to the benefit of Hamas. The Commissioners who wrote this report have records of bias in violation of the U.N.’s own rules on impartiality.
This is a clear example of the Human Rights Council’s moral bankruptcy and why the United States ended its participation in this body. It is long overdue that the Commission of Inquiry be eliminated and that its antisemitic witch hunt be put to an end. “
The International Court of Justice ruled last year that Israel was plausibly guilty of genocide as the world continues to await its final judgement. These are the previous five times the U.S. vetoed a ceasefire resolution in Gaza:
- Dec. 8, 2023: The U.S. vetoed a resolution drafted by the United Arab Emirates and supported by Arab states, which demanded an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza. This was the first such veto.
- Feb. 20, 2024: The U.S. vetoed an Algerian-drafted resolution calling for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and unrestricted humanitarian access to Gaza. This marked the second veto.
- Nov. 2, 2024: The U.S. vetoed a resolution proposed by the 10 elected Security Council members, demanding an immediate ceasefire tied to hostage release and full humanitarian access. This was the third veto.
- Nov. 20, 2024: The U.S. vetoed another resolution (also backed by the 10 elected members) calling for an “immediate, unconditional, and permanent ceasefire” in Gaza, along with hostage release and aid access. This was the fourth veto.
- June 4, 2025: The U.S. vetoed a resolution demanding an “immediate, unconditional, and permanent ceasefire,” hostage release, and unhindered aid, arguing it failed to condemn Hamas or require its disarmament. This was the fifth veto.
Riyad Mansour, U.N.’s permanent observer of Palestine, at a U.N. Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question, Jan. 3, 2025. (U.N. Photo/Loey Felipe)
Very moving words from the ambassador from Algeria. Naturally the guilty party felt the need to attack the most eloquent and passionate advocate for peace.
The US should be declared “zionist occupied territory of America” and the UN HQ moved to Geneve
Well, I guess it pays to know with whom one is working.
It sure puts Potsdam and the Marshall plan and all that in a different light, though, doesn’t it?
So I guess we’re now waiting for Palestine to request a General Assembly vote for a protection force. Many of us have already contacted Palestine’s UN rep about this.
Kick israel and USA out of the UN.
The UN better get off its ass and go into some kind of execution phase, quickly.
In just the past three weeks the Zionists 1.) murdered the Prime Minister of Yemen along with scores of respected journalists, and 2.) annihilated a group of Hamas representatives in a residential building in Doha while they were discussing a Trump ultimatum “peace” plan.
Now Gaza City is under a total media blackout as the Zionist sadists are set on going scorched earth on it which will kill thousands of innocent people on top of the 65,000+ they’ve already slaughtered.
Domestically we have a growing crackdown on the rights enshrined in the First Amendment with comedians booted off the air for telling dumb harmless jokes. No doubt this repression is ultimately aimed at squelching all anti-Israel dissent as our rulers know full well everybody under 30 y.o. despises the sick Zionist enterprise and its influence over our government. A backlash is looming.
The General Assembly must act quickly to send in an armed protective force, while documenting evidence of war crimes.
If they fail in this necessity, the UN will have lost the last shred of relevance.
Exactly!
Isn’t there an alternative to the Security Council vote? I heard about it on a podcast, but I don’t remember what it is.
Unite the Peace Resolution could be used to send in armed diverse nation peace UN workers and take over distributing food and medical. Hell if I know why not done already. Bypasses this US veto scheme.
Indeed there is. The General Assembly can vote on a Uniting for Peace resolution, which would send a Protection Force made up from all the countries that support it. Colombia is planning to submit such a resolution.
Consortium News article on this:
hxxps://consortiumnews.com/2025/09/16/can-the-un-ga-end-israels-occupation/
People organizing for this:
hxxps://lifelineforpalestine.com/