The United States has vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution demanding an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza.
Japan, France and 11 more of the council’s 15 members backed a draft resolution submitted by the United Arab Emirates in a vote on Friday. Britain abstained.
On Wednesday, UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres urged the Security Council to demand an immediate ceasefire. He invoked Article 99 of the UN Charter for the first time since he took office.
About 100 countries jointly submitted the draft resolution to the Security Council.
At the start of an emergency meeting on Friday, Guterres said, “I urge the Council to spare no effort to push for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, for the protection of civilians, and for the urgent delivery of lifesaving aid.”
He added that “the eyes of the world and the eyes of history are watching.”
But US alternate representative to the United Nations Robert Wood disagreed. He said that an immediate ceasefire “would only plant the seeds for the next war.”
He added that the United States “strongly supports durable peace in which both Israelis and Palestinians can live in peace.”
The United States, a strong ally of Israel, vetoed a resolution enabling the delivery of humanitarian aid to Gaza in October.
Source: NHK World
