The United States blocked a resolution from the United Nations Security Council regarding Gaza’s immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire in Gaza on Wednesday.
A statement from the U.S. Department of State indicated that the resolution was unbalanced as it focused on Israel and failed to call for the disarmament of Hamas. Among the 15 members of the Security Council, the U.S. was the only country to veto the resolution in support of Israel.
The Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu previously asserted that the conflict in Gaza would persist until the hostages were freed or Hamas was disarmed.
Dr. Omar Suleiman, a U.S.-based Islamic scholar and activist, slams the U.S. for vetoing the UN Security Council ceasefire resolution regarding Gaza on five occasions, claiming that the U.S. consistently blocks resolutions to shield Israel from accountability.
“This hand will testify on the Day of Judgment. The US has now single-handedly vetoed a Gaza ceasefire resolution at the UN five times. Historically, more than half of the U.S. Security Council vetoes have been used to protect Israel from accountability,” Suleiman noted on his X account.
However, Danny Danon, the Israeli Ambassador to the UN, shared his appreciation for the U.S. decision to veto the resolution on X, highlighting a gap in the UN Security Council's request for a ceasefire, which did not mention the release of hostages, labelling the resolution as yielding to terrorism.
“As long as the hostages remain in Gaza, there will be no ceasefire. Israel will continue to apply military pressure and use all necessary means until every hostage is brought home,” Danon stated.
The U.S. cautions that it will not agree to any resolution that does not denounce Hamas's actions and recognises Israel's right to self-defence.
“We will not support any measure that fails to condemn Hamas, does not demand Hamas to disarm and leave Gaza, creates a false equivalence between Israel and Hamas, or ignores Israel’s right to defend itself,” the statement of the US Department of State partly reads.
The U.S. demands that Hamas relinquish its weapons and free all Israeli hostages, as well as return the bodies of Americans killed in Gaza. The U.S. contends that the resolution jeopardises the ceasefire since Hamas misappropriates humanitarian aid.
Trump’s administration commits to intense efforts to secure the release of hostages, facilitate aid delivery, and eliminate Hamas from Gaza. It insists that the Security Council must adhere to the principles of peace and security.
Aid organisations in Gaza have reported that Israel has shut down the humanitarian corridor, leaving civilians at risk of hunger and illness.
On June 2, 2025, the International Committee of the Red Cross reported 179 new casualties at its health facility in Gaza, stating that some injured civilians, including women and children, were harmed while seeking ways to survive.
In 2024, the U.S. rejected Palestine’s bid for full membership in the United Nations Security Council.
