Jeddah – International leaders, human rights organizations, and United Nations officials have criticized the United States for vetoing a UN Security Council resolution that called for an immediate ceasefire as Israel continued its airstrikes and artillery bombardment of the Gaza Strip on Saturday.
The US is one of the five permanent members of the UN Security Council with veto power, alongside China, France, Russia, and the UK. While China, France, and Russia, along with ten non-permanent members of the Council, voted in favor of the resolution, the UK chose to abstain.
Palestinian President Mahmoud Abbas condemned the US veto, stating that it made the country “complicit” in war crimes in Gaza and held it responsible for the bloodshed of Palestinian children. Abbas’s office issued a statement describing the US position as aggressive, immoral, and a violation of humanitarian values and principles.
Jordan’s top diplomat, Ayman Safadi, also condemned the killing of Palestinian civilians in Israel’s bombardment and siege of Gaza as war crimes. He warned that these actions could have long-lasting destabilizing effects on the region, the US, and the world.
Saudi Arabia’s Foreign Minister, Prince Faisal bin Farhan, reaffirmed the Kingdom’s stance on Gaza, stating that their public and private messages were consistent. He responded to claims that Saudi Arabia had a “dual message” by emphasizing that their position in public and private was identical. Prince Faisal expressed disappointment with the US veto and the Security Council’s inability to take a firm position on Gaza.
Various representatives from other countries also voiced their criticism of the US veto. The UAE’s deputy UN ambassador, Mohamed Abushahab, questioned the message being sent to Palestinians when the international community couldn’t unite behind a call for a halt to the bombardment of Gaza. Oman’s Foreign Minister, Sayyid Badr Albusaidi, called the use of the veto a shameful insult to humanitarian norms.
China’s permanent representative to the UN, Zhang Jun, highlighted the contradiction of claiming to care about the lives and safety of people in Gaza while allowing the fighting to continue. Russia’s Ambassador to the UN, Dmitry Polyanskiy, accused the US of issuing a death sentence to thousands, if not tens of thousands, of civilians in Palestine and Israel.
Amnesty International’s Secretary-General, Agnes Callamard, condemned the US veto, stating that it displayed a callous disregard for civilian suffering in the face of a staggering death toll.
Meanwhile, the Biden administration approved an emergency sale of nearly 14,000 rounds of tank ammunition worth over $100 million to Israel as it intensifies its military operations.
As the Gaza conflict escalates and the international community criticizes the US for its veto, calls for an immediate ceasefire and the protection of civilian lives continue to grow louder. The world anxiously awaits a resolution to the ongoing crisis in Gaza.
