Wed Nov 20 17:24:57 UTC 2024: ## US Vetoes UN Resolution Demanding Gaza Ceasefire

**New York, November 20, 2024** – The United States vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza on Wednesday. The resolution, which passed with 14 votes in favor and one abstention, failed to secure adoption due to the US’s opposition.

The US Ambassador Robert Wood cited the resolution’s lack of a simultaneous demand for the release of hostages held by Hamas in Israel since October 2023 as the reason for the veto. The resolution explicitly demanded the “immediate and unconditional release of all hostages,” but the US apparently felt this condition was insufficiently emphasized.

The resolution was sponsored by the 10 non-permanent members of the Security Council. This marks the second time the US has blocked a UN resolution concerning the ongoing conflict. A previous US-sponsored resolution, calling for a ceasefire based on a three-phase plan proposed by President Biden, was adopted in June but failed to halt the fighting. The ongoing conflict continues despite Hamas’s recent statement expressing readiness for a ceasefire.

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