U.S. Alternate Representative for Special Political Affairs in the United Nations Robert Wood (C, Front) votes against a UN Security Council draft resolution that calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza at the UN headquarters in New York, U.S., November 20, 2024. /CFP
The U.S. on Wednesday vetoed a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) draft resolution that called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, drawing harsh criticism from most of the UN members.
The draft, put forward by the council's 10 non-permanent members, demanded an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire, as well as the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.
The 15-member council voted 14-1 in favor of the resolution, and the United States used its veto as a permanent council member to block it.
The U.S. move to block the resolution drew harsh criticism from most of the members.
In a press statement published by the official Palestinian news agency WAFA, the presidency stated that the United States used its veto for the fourth time, encouraging Israel to persist in its "crimes" against the Palestinian and Lebanese peoples while defying international law and legitimacy.
The statement stressed that Palestine's demands to the UN Security Council and the international community were clear: to halt the "aggression," enforce a ceasefire, and address the "crimes" Israel has committed against the defenseless Palestinian people.
The statement urged the international community, especially the UN Security Council, to take responsibility for the Palestinian people by acting immediately to end the ongoing "aggression," the humanitarian crisis, and the hunger affecting Gaza.
Farsin Shaheen, the Palestinian Authority's state minister for foreign affairs and expatriates, deemed the U.S. veto "unjustified, and is a challenge to the will of the international community."
She affirmed that achieving peace, security, and stability in the region and the world is contingent on implementing international legitimacy resolutions, ending Israeli occupation of Palestinian territory, and recognizing the legitimate rights of the Palestinian people.
Hamas said in a statement that by using the veto, the United States proves it is a "direct partner in the aggression," responsible for "killing children and women, destroying civilian life in Gaza."
The statement called on the United States to stop this "reckless hostile policy" if it truly seeks to end wars and achieve security and stability in the region, as claimed by the elected administration.
Fu Cong, China's permanent representative to the United Nations, expressed disappointment with the outcome of the vote and accused the U.S. crushed the last glimmer of hope for the people of Gaza to survive, pushing them further into darkness and despair.
Russia's permanent representative to the United Nations, Vassily Nebenzia, said it is "shocking" that the United States vetoed an effort to save Palestinian and Israeli lives, though "we should not be surprised."
He lamented that for months, the United States has obstructed and stood in the way of the council action to address the catastrophic situation in Gaza and played on one side of the conflict to advance its own political objectives at the expense of Palestinian lives.
Residents inspect the damage after Israeli attacks on Khaled ben El-Walid School of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees at Nuseirat refugee camp, in Gaza Strip, November 20, 2024. /CFP
Meanwhile, Palestine on Wednesday rejected any Israeli plans to establish buffer zones in the northern Gaza Strip to distribute aid, the Palestinian official news agency WAFA reported.
"The talk about the so-called establishment of a buffer zone in northern Gaza Strip and Jabalia to distribute aid through a private American company and with foreign funding are completely rejected and unacceptable plans," Nabil Abu Rudeineh, official spokesperson for the Palestinian presidency, said in a statement carried by WAFA.
Abu Rudeineh considered the plan violates all international legitimacy resolutions and international law that consider the Gaza Strip an integral part of the occupied Palestinian territory.
He added that any plans related to the future of the Gaza Strip or the distribution of aid are only done through the State of Palestine and the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), as well as other relevant international organizations.
Palestinians wait in a queue to receive bread outside a bakery in Khan Yunis, November 20, 2024. /CFP
'Graveyard' for children
Philippe Lazzarini, commissioner-general of the United Nations Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), said on Wednesday that Gaza has become a "graveyard" for children.
"They are being killed, injured, forced to flee, and deprived of safety, education, and play," Lazzarini said in a statement marking World Children's Day, observed annually on November 20.
"Their childhood has been stolen, and they are on the verge of becoming a lost generation, having lost another school year," Lazzarini said.
He noted that children in the West Bank are enduring constant fear and anxiety. Since last October, more than 170 children have been killed, while many others have lost their childhood to detention in Israeli facilities.
On Wednesday, Palestinian groups called for international action to protect children in Gaza and the West Bank, highlighting the catastrophic humanitarian conditions they are enduring.
The Palestinian Ministry of Foreign Affairs issued a statement emphasizing that children are the most vulnerable and affected by Israeli practices, enduring dire conditions that violate their fundamental rights, including the right to life.
The ministry warned that children in Gaza face a real threat, with hundreds of thousands estimated to be suffering from severe shortages of food and clean drinking water.
The statement also emphasized that children in the West Bank are consistently subjected to the same "criminal" policies, such as arbitrary detention, and face illegal trials, which blatantly violate their rights under international agreements.
Meanwhile, the Palestinian National Council said that children in Gaza are "paying the heavy price" since October 2023, "in full view of the world, which remains unable to stop this genocide."
A statement issued by the council on the occasion noted that the bodies of Gaza's children have been exposed to various weapons, including rockets and bombs, as well as "the most horrific images of killing and destruction," with many dying from hunger, thirst, and diseases due to the siege. Thousands of children have become orphans.
(With input from Xinhua)