US vetoes Gaza truce resolution at UN
PALESTINIAN TERRITORIES: Israel kept up its deadly bombardment of war-torn Gaza as the United States vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution that called for a ceasefire in the Palestinian territory.
Global powers trying to navigate a way out of the spiraling crisis have so far come up short, and mediation efforts have so far failed to secure a truce to halt the fighting.
Adding to Gaza’s woes, the UN’s World Food Program (WFP) said on Tuesday it had to stop desperately needed deliveries to the enclave’s north after facing “complete chaos and violence” there — a decision condemned by Hamas.
The WFP had only just resumed deliveries on Sunday, but said its convoy was met with gunfire, violence and looting, while a truck driver was beaten.
“We are shocked about this decision by the World Food Program to suspend the delivery of food aid in northern Gaza, which means a death sentence and death for threequarters of a million people,” the Hamas government’s media office said on Tuesday night.
Calling on the agency to “immediately reverse its disastrous decision,” it said, “we hold the United Nations and the international community responsible.”
Since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas, Gaza has been plunged into a food crisis, with outside aid severely restricted.
The UN has repeatedly sounded the alarm over the dire humanitarian situation in Gaza, warning that food shortages could lead to an “explosion” of preventable child deaths.
More than four months of relentless fighting have flattened much of the coastal territory, pushing 2.2 million people to the brink of famine and displacing three-quarters of the population, UN estimates show.
“We can’t take it anymore. We do not have flour. We don’t even know where to go in this cold weather,” said Ahmad, a resident of Gaza City, where streets are strewn with rubble from destroyed buildings and garbage. “We demand a ceasefire. We want to live.”
Ceasefire veto
But in New York, Washington vetoed a UN Security Council resolution drafted by Algeria, which demanded an immediate humanitarian ceasefire and the “unconditional” release of all hostages kidnapped in the October 7 attacks.
US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield called the vote “wishful and irresponsible,” as it could put negotiations to free hostages in Gaza “in jeopardy.”
The veto provoked criticism from several countries, including China, Russia, Saudi Arabia and even close US allies France and Slovenia.
Hamas said the US veto equaled “a green light for the [occupying forces] to commit more massacres.”
As world powers voted, Israeli strikes pounded Gaza early on Wednesday as fighting on the ground raged on, leaving 103 people dead, the territory’s Hamasrun Health Ministry said.
Witnesses reported heavy fire in areas around Gaza, including its southernmost city of Rafah, near the Egyptian border, where about 1.4 million displaced Palestinians have sought shelter.
Rafah, Gaza’s last city to face a ground invasion by Israeli ground troops, is also the main entry point for desperately needed relief supplies via Egypt.
Qatar, which has played a key role in mediation efforts between Hamas and Israel, said on Tuesday that medicines sent into Gaza under a deal co-negotiated by France had reached the hostages held by the militants, in exchange for a shipment of humanitarian aid.
But overall, negotiation efforts have failed to secure a long-term truce and despite international pressure, Israel has insisted that a ground operation Rafah is essential to destroy Hamas.
Leaders of global humanitarian groups said a ground offensive could turn the Rafah into a “graveyard,” warning of the “truly unimaginable” consequences of a full-scale assault.
Israel has said that, unless all the hostages are freed by the start of Ramadan on March 10 or 11, it will push on with its offensive during the Muslim holy month, including in Rafah.