The United Nations (UN) on Wednesday expressed regret over the US veto of a draft resolution calling for a ceasefire and the release of hostages in the Gaza Strip.
“This is yet another example of the regrettable lack of consensus that we have seen in the Security Council among member states and the lack, frankly, of implementation of previous resolutions on Gaza,” spokesman Stephane Dujarric told reporters.
He said Secretary-General Antonio Guterres remained committed to supporting efforts to end the conflict, achieve the unconditional release of all hostages and advance the implementation of the two-state solution.
Dujarric’s comments came after the US again vetoed a proposed Security Council resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.
The resolution, which was vetoed earlier on Wednesday, calls for an “immediate,” “unconditional” and “permanent” ceasefire and rejects any efforts to starve the Palestinians.
The US previously vetoed three draft Security Council resolutions calling for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza – in October 2023, December 2023 and February, while abstaining from voting on other draft resolutions.
Israel launched a genocidal war on Gaza after last year’s attack by the Palestinian resistance group Hamas. The ensuing attack has killed nearly 44,000 people, mostly women and children, since October 7, 2023.
The second year of the Gaza genocide has attracted increasing international recognition, with individuals and institutions labeling Israel’s actions as a deliberate attempt to destroy the population.
Israel is facing a charge of genocide at the International Court of Justice over its deadly war in Gaza.
