US Vetoes UN Security Council Resolution Urging Immediate Gaza Ceasefire

Acting US Ambassador to the United Nations Dorothy Shea defended Washington’s decision to veto the resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, asserting that such a move without a clear condemnation of Hamas would amount to “rewarding terror.” 

“After all, it was Hamas that launched the brutal attack,” Shea said. “It continues to hold Israeli hostages and uses Palestinian civilians as human shields.” She criticized Security Council members for repeatedly refusing to denounce the terrorist organization. 

“The United States supports Israel’s right to defend itself and defeat Hamas so that it can never again pose a threat,” she said. “Our opposition to this resolution should not come as a surprise. The US has made clear it will not support any effort that fails to condemn Hamas. We cannot allow the Council to reward terrorism.” 

Shea argued that an immediate ceasefire would only serve to empower Hamas and enable it to stage another October 7-style attack. “No one wants to see Palestinians in Gaza hungry or thirsty,” she said. “But Hamas must accept the proposal currently on the table. The United States is working with Egypt and Qatar to bring this terrible conflict to an end.” 

In closing, Shea declared: “Let us instead demand that Hamas surrender and leave Gaza for good. A real agreement—one that frees the hostages, brings about a ceasefire, and allows Palestinians to break free from Hamas—is what we must aim for.” 

Pakistan's ambassador sharply criticized the decision, calling it “a sad day.” 

“Once again, Council members have shown they are willing to uphold the responsibility entrusted to them,” the Pakistani envoy said. “But the veto sends a dangerous message—that the lives of more than two million Palestinians do not matter. Gaza is worse than hell on earth. Disease and despair are spreading faster each day.” He echoed figures released by Gaza’s Hamas-run Health Ministry, claiming that 100 Palestinians were killed and 400 injured in the past 24 hours. 

In contrast, Israel’s Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, condemned the proposed resolution and thanked the United States for blocking it. “You chose appeasement. You chose surrender,” he said. “This resolution sends a dangerous message to Hamas: reject every offer, and the international community will reward you. Hold civilians hostage, and the UN will grant you legitimacy. This is not diplomacy—this is surrender to terror.” 

Danon reaffirmed Israel’s stance that no ceasefire will occur as long as hostages remain in Gaza. “Israel will continue to apply military pressure and act by all necessary means until every hostage is returned,” he declared. 

He also expressed gratitude to Washington: “We thank the United States for its moral clarity and leadership today. In standing firm, the US chose truth, justice, and the fight against terror—rather than giving legitimacy to Hamas’s lies and extortion.”

Ahead of the vote, Danon criticized the initiative: “At a time when negotiations to release hostages are making real progress, some are advancing a resolution that will contribute nothing. The focus now must be on pressuring Hamas, not the State of Israel.” 

UN spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric also addressed the humanitarian crisis in Gaza, calling the situation “unacceptable.” He noted that “civilians are risking—and often losing—their lives simply trying to access food.” The UN has expressed opposition to a new aid distribution mechanism in the territory, and Dujarric reiterated the organization’s warning that the current system is a “recipe for disaster—and that is precisely what we are seeing.” 

Slovenian Ambassador to the UN Samuel Žbogar told Reuters: “The time to act has long passed. It is our historical responsibility not to remain silent.”