The United States has vetoed a United Nations Security Council (UNSC) resolution that called for an immediate, unconditional, and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, as Israeli strikes across the enclave have killed nearly 100 Palestinians in the past 24 hours amid a crippling aid blockade.<\/p>\n
The US was the only country to vote against the measure on Wednesday while the 14 other members of the council voted in favour.<\/p>\n
The resolution also called for the release of Israeli captives held in Gaza, but Washington said it was a \u201cnon-starter\u201d because the ceasefire demand is not directly linked to the release of captives.<\/p>\n
In remarks before the start of the voting, Acting US Ambassador Dorothy Shea made her country\u2019s opposition to the resolution, put forward by 10 countries on the 15-member council, painfully clear, which she said \u201cshould come as no surprise\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cThe United States has taken the very clear position since this conflict began that Israel has the right to defend itself, which includes defeating Hamas and ensuring they are never again in a position to threaten Israel,\u201d she told the council.<\/p>\n
China\u2019s Ambassador Fu Cong said Israel\u2019s actions have \u201ccrossed every red line\u201d of international humanitarian law and seriously violated U.N. resolutions. \u201cYet, due to the shielding by one country, these violations have not been stopped or held accountable.\u201d<\/p>\n
Al Jazeera\u2019s senior political analyst Marwan Bishara noted that the US veto makes it \u201cso isolated\u201d.<\/p>\n
\u201cClearly there is a gathering storm \u2026 with so many countries\u201d that are standing against the US at the UNSC. \u201cIt\u2019s only the US that is trying to block this converging and rising current against Israel and what it\u2019s doing in Gaza \u2026 Israel is not defending itself in Gaza, Israel is defending its occupation and siege in Gaza,\u201d Bishara added.<\/p>\n
\u2018Open the crossings\u2019<\/p>\n
Despite global demands for a truce, Israel has repeatedly rejected calls for an unconditional or permanent ceasefire, insisting Hamas cannot stay in power, nor in Gaza. It has expanded its military assault in Gaza, killing and wounding thousands more Palestinians and maintaining a brutal blockade on the enclave, only allowing a trickle of tightly-controlled aid in where a famine looms.<\/p>\n
At least 95 Palestinians have been killed on Wednesday and more than 440 injured, according to health officials in Gaza.<\/p>\n
Al Jazeera\u2019s Tareq Abu Azzoum, reporting from Deir el-Balah, said, \u201cThere has been a clear surge of attacks.\u201d He said there were relentless Israeli strikes there in central Gaza and throughout the territory.<\/p>\n