US Vetoes UN Security Council Resolution Demanding Gaza Ceasefire
United Nations – The United States of America has yet again vetoed a United Nations Security Council draft resolution demanding an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, marking the sixth such block in nearly two years of war between Israel and Hamas.
The vote on Thursday, September 18, 2025, saw 14 of the 15 council members – including four of the five permanent powers – in favour, but the US cast its veto, isolating Washington and its ally Israel further on the global stage. The draft, tabled by the council’s 10 elected members, not only called for a permanent halt to hostilities but also demanded the unconditional release of all hostages held by Hamas and other groups, and an end to Israel’s restrictions on humanitarian aid into Gaza. US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield dismissed it as “performative,” arguing it would give Hamas a “lifeline” while undermining Israel’s right to self-defence. For Palestinians in Gaza, where over 41,000 have died since October 2023, the veto prolongs a humanitarian catastrophe, with aid agencies warning of famine risks for 500,000 amid Israeli blockades.
The near-unanimous support – from Russia and China to traditional US allies like the UK and France – highlights the growing diplomatic squeeze on Washington, as frustration mounts over its unwavering backing of Israel’s military campaign. UN Secretary-General António Guterres, who has repeatedly called for a ceasefire, described the veto as “deeply regrettable,” urging the council to “rise to the moment” for civilians caught in the crossfire. In a conflict that has displaced 1.9 million and levelled swathes of Gaza, the US’s sixth block – following similar vetoes in December 2023, February 2024, and beyond – underscores a stark divide, with even the UK voting yes for the first time. As global protests swell and aid trickles amid bombardments, the veto not only stalls peace but amplifies cries of double standards in a world weary of endless war.
The Resolution’s Demands: Ceasefire, Hostages, and Aid
The draft resolution, spearheaded by Algeria on behalf of Arab states, was a comprehensive call for de-escalation in a war that began with Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack killing 1,200 Israelis and taking 251 hostages. It demanded an “immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire” – language echoing UN General Assembly votes – alongside the “immediate, dignified and unconditional release of all hostages” and a lift on all aid restrictions, including Israel’s closure of crossings since March 2025. The text also recalled earlier council demands for compliance with international law, implicitly criticising Israel’s operations that have drawn war crimes accusations from Amnesty International.
The 14-0-1 tally – with the US alone in opposition – marked a rare rebuke, as France, the UK, and others broke from past abstentions to affirm the humanitarian imperative. Thomas-Greenfield defended the veto: “This draft resolution would provide Hamas with a lifeline,” insisting negotiations must include hostage releases and Hamas disarmament. Critics, including Human Rights Watch, slammed it as “enabling atrocity,” noting the US’s 40+ arms shipments to Israel since October 2023.
US Isolation Grows: Sixth Veto in Gaza Crisis
This marks the US’s sixth veto on Gaza since the war’s outbreak – a pattern that’s eroded its moral authority, with even allies like the UK shifting under Labour’s Keir Starmer. Previous blocks – in December 2023 (13-1), February 2024 (13-1), and April 2024 (14-0) – drew UNGA overrides, like the September 2024 call for Israel to end occupation by 2025. The latest, on September 18, amplifies divides: Russia and China decried “hypocrisy,” while South Africa’s envoy Vusimuzi Madonsela called it “a betrayal of humanity.” Israel’s UN rep Danny Danon welcomed the veto as “moral clarity,” but global protests – 100,000 in London on September 14 – chant otherwise.
The war’s toll: 41,000 Palestinian dead, 92,000 injured per Gaza Health Ministry; 1,200 Israeli dead on October 7, with 101 hostages remaining. Aid agencies like UNRWA warn of famine for 2.2 million, with Israel’s Rafah siege since May blocking 80% of supplies. Biden’s lame-duck administration, facing domestic backlash, faces isolation as Trump eyes a return with pro-Israel pledges.
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