Israel unleashed an unfettered show of violence against the Gaza Strip on Saturday, shortly after the United States used its veto at the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) to stop a ceasefire from taking effect.
Thirteen of the Security Council’s fifteen members voted in favor of the resolution calling for an urgent humanitarian ceasefire, which was subsequently blocked by Washington. Britain abstained from voting.
“We do not support this resolution’s call for an unsustainable ceasefire that will only plant the seeds for the next war,” stated Deputy U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Robert Wood.
Hamas political bureau member Ezzat El-Reshiq called the US veto “inhumane.” The veto, according to president of the Palestinian Authority Mahmoud Abbas, made the US complicit in Israeli war crimes. Abbas had lost control over Gaza to Hamas in 2007.
For Israel’s UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan, “a ceasefire will be possible only with the return of all hostages and the destruction of Hamas.”
Since the end of truce last week, Israel has escalated its ground operations into the Gaza Strip’s southern part, and even invaded Khan Younis, a key southern city.
Gaza Ministry of Health has confirmed that 17,177 persons have been killed and 46,000 have been injured since the Israeli-Palestinian conflict broke out on October 7.
The death toll in the occupied West Bank stands at 266, with 3,365 injured. The Israeli army has reported 1,147 Israelis dead.