UN Security Council faces vote on Gaza ceasefire amid US veto concerns

The UN Security Council is set to vote Wednesday on a draft resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza, aiming to end the ongoing conflict.

The resolution, however, may face a US veto due to its wording.

The draft demands “an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire” between Israel and Hamas and calls for “the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.”

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Israel’s UN ambassador, Danny Danon, condemned the proposal as “shameful,” stating, “We cannot allow the UN to tie the hands of the State of Israel from protecting its citizens, and we will not stop fighting until we return all the kidnapped men and women home.”

US Deputy Ambassador Robert Wood reiterated the American stance: “It has to be a linkage between a ceasefire and the release of hostages.”

The conflict erupted on October 7, 2023, after a Hamas cross-border raid killed 1,206 people in Israel, primarily civilians, according to Israeli figures. Gaza’s health ministry, run by Hamas, reports a death toll of 43,972 civilians. Nearly all of Gaza’s 2.4 million residents have been displaced, creating a humanitarian crisis.

Despite past efforts, the Security Council has been divided, with the US frequently using its veto power alongside Russia and China.

Resolutions seeking ceasefires or humanitarian pauses have often failed, including appeals during Ramadan and plans for a multi-stage ceasefire earlier this year.

Some diplomats speculate that President Joe Biden, nearing the end of his term, might show greater flexibility following Donald Trump’s recent election victory.