The resolution, voted upon on Wednesday, Nov. 20, was supported by 14 members of the Security Council. It failed to pass due to the U.S. casting the lone veto.
This resolution called for an immediate halt to the violence in Gaza, which has been the site of intense Israeli airstrikes and military operations since October 2023. It also demanded the release of all hostages held by Hamas.
The U.S. opposed the resolution's demand for an "unconditional" ceasefire, arguing that any ceasefire should be explicitly linked to the immediate release of the hostages. Robert Wood, the U.S. deputy envoy to the UN, explained that the U.S. could not support a resolution that did not make the hostages' release a central condition.
"A durable end to the war must come with the release of the hostages. These two urgent goals are inextricably linked," Wood said during the UNSC session. Furthermore, the official alleged that Russia and China had encouraged the 10 elected members of the council to support a draft that bypassed the critical issue of hostages.
This marks the fourth time that the administration of President Joe Biden has used its veto power in the Security Council specifically to block a resolution related to Gaza since October 2023.
The violence has led to nearly 44,000 Palestinian deaths and a humanitarian crisis in the Gaza Strip. The U.S. has been a staunch ally of Israel, providing billions of dollars in military aid annually and continuing to support Israel's operations despite international criticism. (Related: Human Rights Watch accuses Israel of crimes in Gaza, citing deliberate forced displacement of Palestinians.)
Israel's representative to the UN, Ambassador Danny Danon, praised the U.S. veto, framing it as a stand for justice and morality. Danon argued that the resolution overlooked the suffering of the hostages, 101 of whom are still held by Hamas in Gaza. He said, "The text ignored the suffering of the innocent hostages," and applauded the U.S. for its refusal to abandon them.
The Palestinian delegation expressed strong disapproval of the veto. Deputy Permanent Observer of the State of Palestine to the UN Majed Bamya argued that a ceasefire was the first necessary step toward saving lives in Gaza.
"A ceasefire doesn't resolve everything, but it is the first step toward resolving anything," Bamya said. He stressed that the international community should not accept the ongoing deaths of Palestinian civilians as normal, adding that Palestinian lives were just as valuable as those of any other people.
This latest failure to pass a resolution reflects the deep divisions within the Security Council over how to address the situation in Gaza. While the U.S. has continued its unwavering support of Israel, Russia and China have pushed for stronger action against Israel's military operations. The veto also highlights the paralysis at the UN, where there has been little consensus on how to respond to the growing humanitarian disaster in Gaza.
The U.S. veto has drawn significant criticism, particularly from human rights organizations. Beth Miller, political director at the anti-Zionist pro-peace organization the Jewish Voice for Peace, called the veto "pathetic," accusing the Biden administration of enabling ongoing violence in Gaza.
"They continue to parrot over and over again that they're 'working tirelessly' for a ceasefire while simultaneously blocking efforts to reach a ceasefire," Miller said.
Watch this video showing the latest Security Council vote on the ceasefire resolution and the American veto.
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