The United States faced widespread international pushback after vetoing a United Nations Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, while separately, the International Criminal Court (ICC) announced arrest warrants for both Israeli and Hamas leadership.
The U.S. stood alone in opposing the resolution, which was supported by 10 non-permanent Security Council members. Robert Wood, deputy U.S. ambassador to the UN, defended the decision, stating that any ceasefire must be explicitly linked to the release of hostages. “A durable end to the war must come with the release of the hostages. These two urgent goals are inextricably linked,” Wood explained.
China led the diplomatic response, with Ambassador Fu Cong criticizing the U.S. for rendering the Security Council “incapable of playing its role.” Several nations, including Ireland and Portugal, called for reform of the Security Council veto power, which is held by five permanent members.
In a separate development, the ICC issued arrest warrants for Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, former Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, and Hamas leader Mohammed Deif. The warrants would be enforceable in over 120 countries that recognize ICC jurisdiction, though Israel disputes the court’s authority. Israeli officials denounced the ICC’s decision, with former Prime Minister Naftali Bennett calling it a “mark of shame” and opposition leader Yair Lapid describing it as “a reward for terrorism.”
Israel’s UN Ambassador Danny Danon characterized the proposed ceasefire resolution as “a resolution for appeasement” of Hamas, while Hamas’s status remains unclear, with Israel claiming to have killed its leader Deif in an earlier airstrike – a claim Hamas has neither confirmed nor denied.
The diplomatic tensions highlight the growing international divide over the conflict’s resolution, as humanitarian concerns mount and peace negotiations continue without clear progress.
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