US vetoes UN resolution condemning Israel's Gaza hospital massacre
U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield speaks at the Security Council meeting on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question, at the United Nations headquarters, New York, U.S., Oct. 18, 2023. (AFP Photo)


The U.S. vetoed a U.N. resolution focused on humanitarian assistance for Gaza on Wednesday.

The text put forward by Brazil, which currently chairs the U.N. Security Council, included a demand that Israel reverse its call for the evacuation of civilians from the northern Gaza Strip.

Twelve of the 15 members of the council had given their support to the resolution.

The text of the document followed the line taken by the United Nations, which had described the evacuation of over 1 million people from the north of the densely populated coastal area as "impossible."

Over 3,000 Palestinians were killed in indiscriminate attacks by the Israeli military since Oct. 7.

"Our proposed text unequivocally condemned all forms of violence against civilians, including the heinous acts of terrorism by Hamas, and the taking of hostages. It called for their immediate and unconditional release," said Danese.

Russia's U.N. envoy, Vassily Nebenzia, accused the U.S. of hypocrisy and not standing in principle in the Security Council.

"They really did not want to have any solution here," said Nebenzia.

American envoy Linda Thomas-Greenfield said U.S. leaders are on the ground doing the hard work of diplomacy.

"While we recognize Brazil's desire to move this text forward, we believe we need to let that diplomacy play out," she said, noting talks between U.N. chief Antonio Guterres, U.S. President Joe Biden and U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken.