The US vetoes UN resolution condemning forced displacement of Palestinians in Gaza
United Nations, Feb 21 (IANS) – The United States has used its veto power to block a UN Security Council resolution, aiming to oppose “forced displacement” of civilians and calling for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza, where an Israeli attack on Rafah, a city housing over a million Palestinians, is imminent.
The resolution proposed by Algeria on behalf of Arab nations received 13 votes in favor, with the UK abstaining in the 15-member Council. US Permanent Representative Linda Thomas-Greenfield said that Washington would offer an alternate resolution. This was the sixth resolution on Gaza to suffer vetoes.
The vetoed resolution opposed the “forced displacement of the Palestinian civilian population in violation of international law” and called for the release of hostages held in Gaza and a ceasefire to facilitate it and the sending of humanitarian assistance there.
Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has announced that a military offensive on Rafah was imminent, adding a sense of urgency to the calls for the Council to act. Despite the US vetoes, Israel “cannot get away with murder” and would face a reckoning, Palestine’s Permanent Observer Riyad Mansour said.
The US appears to back a ceasefire, even if conditional. Instead of calling for a cessation of hostilities, the US draft resolution uses the word “ceasefire”, likely for the first time.
The US’s decision was met with criticism from various countries, with Russia accusing the US of allowing the massacre of Palestinians through its vetoes of Council resolutions. The Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) also expressed regret over the veto.
The US has faced pressure from its own Democratic Party and the international community over its support for Israel, with President Joe Biden opposing an invasion of Rafah and expressing the need for plans to protect civilians before proceeding with any major ground offensive.
The conflict in Gaza continues to escalate, and the world is watching to see how the situation will be resolved.
(Arul Louis can be contacted at arul.l@ians.in and followed at @arulouis)
–IANS
