U.S. Vetoes U.N. Ceasefire Resolution Over Failure to Condemn Hamas

by Emmitt Barry, with reporting from Worthy News Jerusalem Bureau Staff

NEW YORK (Worthy News) – The United States vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution demanding an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, calling it “unacceptable” because it failed to condemn Hamas and recognize Israel’s right to defend itself.

“Colleagues, U.S. opposition to this resolution will come as no surprise,” U.S. Mission Counselor Morgan Ortagus said ahead of the vote. “It fails to condemn Hamas or recognize Israel’s right to defend itself, and it wrongly legitimizes the false narratives benefiting Hamas, which have sadly found currency in this council.”

All 14 other Security Council members supported the resolution, which also demanded that Israel lift restrictions on humanitarian aid deliveries into Gaza. Washington’s veto marked the sixth time it has blocked similar measures since the war began following Hamas’s October 7, 2023, attack on Israel that killed 1,200 people, mostly civilians, and saw 251 kidnapped. Hamas still holds 48 Israeli hostages, including at least 20 believed alive.

U.S. Isolated but Unmoved

The United States once again stood diplomatically alone, with critics accusing it of shielding Israel from international accountability. Pakistan’s envoy called the veto “a dark moment” in the history of the Council. Algeria’s Ambassador Amar Bendjama praised the 14 “courageous members” who supported the measure, arguing they “acted with conscience.”

But Ortagus dismissed the vote as “performative action designed to draw a veto,” warning it offered Hamas “a lifeline.” Washington has repeatedly accused Hamas of using civilians as human shields, looting aid supplies, and obstructing evacuations.

Israeli and Palestinian Reactions

Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon thanked the U.S. for its veto, declaring the resolution would not “release the hostages and will not bring security to the region.”

“For some members of the council, this is a performance. For Israel, this is a daily reality,” Danon told delegates. “This is not diplomacy. This is surrender.”

Palestinian envoy Riyad Mansour condemned the U.S. decision, saying it deepened the “anger and frustration” of Palestinians watching “this nightmare” unfold, though he made no mention of Hamas.

Longstanding U.N. Bias Against Israel

The United Nations has a long history of singling out Israel. Since 2015, it has passed more resolutions against Israel than any other country — and in recent years, more than all other nations combined, including Syria, Iran, China, Russia, and North Korea.

Earlier this year, a U.N. investigatory committee released a report accusing Israel of committing genocide in Gaza. The report was swiftly refuted by multiple legal experts, humanitarian organizations, and several member states, who highlighted its flawed methodology and lack of evidence.

Under pressure, the U.N. quietly walked back key claims, acknowledging that the findings were not conclusive and retracting portions of the report — a rare reversal that further underscored accusations of systemic bias against Israel within U.N. institutions.

War and Humanitarian Concerns

The resolution cited U.N.-backed reports warning of famine in Gaza. U.S. officials countered that aid deliveries face systemic looting by Hamas, undermining distribution. Israel has insisted that restrictions remain necessary to prevent terrorist groups from seizing humanitarian supplies and reselling them to fund and support their operations.

Meanwhile, Israeli forces launched a renewed ground offensive in Gaza City as part of what officials called their “final campaign” to eliminate Hamas.

Despite increasing diplomatic isolation, Washington has signaled it will continue backing Israel’s right to self-defense against enemies that openly call for the murder of Jews.

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