The United States vetoed a draft United Nations Security Council Resolution on Wednesday that called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza but failed to condemn Hamas, even while calling on it to release its hostages.
The vote was 14 to 1, with the U.S. casting the lone vote in opposition. Because the U.S. is one of the Council’s five permanent members, its “no” vote counts as a veto.
SecurityCouncilReport.org reported that the U.S. suggested changes to an initial draft resolution circulated by the ten elected, temporary members of the Council, but that the so-called “E10” rejected changes to their draft, dooming the resolution.
SecurityCouncilReport.org noted:
In response to the increasingly dire conditions in Gaza, it seems that several Council members—Algeria, France, and Slovenia—initiated separate draft resolutions on the situation. After informal consultations, these countries eventually agreed that Algeria and Slovenia, along with Guyana, would introduce a single draft. On 27 May, these members convened a meeting of all E10 countries to discuss the possibility of advancing that draft as a joint E10 product. While there was apparently some debate about the appropriate language to use in reference to certain elements—including Hamas and the release of hostages—it seems that the elected members agreed on the key provisions of a draft resolution. They decided to advance a short, one-page text comprised of three operative paragraphs, respectively demanding an immediate, unconditional, and permanent ceasefire in Gaza; the immediate, dignified, and unconditional release of all hostages held by Hamas and other groups; and the immediate and unconditional lifting of all restrictions on the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza and its safe and unhindered distribution at scale.
This draft was subsequently shared bilaterally with each of the Council’s five permanent members (P5) for comment. It seems that the US expressed reservations about the draft and made several proposals that it considered prerequisites for further engagement, including a condemnation of Hamas and expression of support for the GHF [Gaza Humanitarian Foundation]. Other P5 members apparently signalled overall support for the resolution but suggested certain revisions: France and the UK also sought language condemning Hamas, while Russia proposed several edits, including the deletion of references to the IPC report and to resolution 2735 of 10 June 2024—on which Russia abstained—that welcomed the 31 May 2024 ceasefire proposal announced by the US.
As several of the proposed changes were unacceptable to other members, the E10 apparently viewed their initial draft as the most balanced reflection of positions. Led by Slovenia in its role as E10 coordinator, the group proceeded to place the draft under silence procedure without modifications on 30 May. The US immediately broke silence, not reiterating the substantive concerns that it had shared bilaterally but instead criticising the negotiations as rushed for not including a formal comment period open to all Council members. It also described the initiative as ill-timed amid the ongoing talks it is mediating between Israel and Hamas on a new ceasefire agreement. Following further bilateral consultations with the US, it seems that the E10 members maintained that the draft remained the fairest possible compromise among Council members’ divergent views and proceeded to place it in blue without revisions.
The vote seemed to have been prompted by concerns at the United Nations about the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation (GHF), a Trump administration-backed effort that is succeeding in delivering aid directly to Palestinians in Gaza — and that is sidelining both Hamas and the deeply corrupt United Nations agencies.
Acting U.S. Ambassador Dorothy Shea added: “It is inexplicable that many members of this Council still refuse to acknowledge that Hamas could end this conflict tomorrow by surrendering and laying down its arms. It is unconscionable that the UN still has not labeled and sanctioned Hamas as a terrorist organization.”
She added that the Council should work toward a real ceasefire, rather than “performative” votes.
Joel B. Pollak is Senior Editor-at-Large at Breitbart News and the host of Breitbart News Sunday on Sirius XM Patriot on Sunday evenings from 7 p.m. to 10 p.m. ET (4 p.m. to 7 p.m. PT). He is the author of Trump 2.0: The Most Dramatic ‘First 100 Days’ in Presidential History, available for Amazon Kindle. He is also the author of The Trumpian Virtues: The Lessons and Legacy of Donald Trump’s Presidency, now available on Audible. He is a winner of the 2018 Robert Novak Journalism Alumni Fellowship. Follow him on Twitter at @joelpollak.
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