New York: The United States has vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution demanding an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, even as Israel escalated its offensive in Gaza City.

The draft, tabled by the Council’s 10 elected members, had near-unanimous backing with 14 of 15 members voting in favour. It called for an “immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire,” the release of all hostages held by Hamas and allied groups, and unrestricted humanitarian access.

Defending Washington’s stance, US Deputy Special Envoy to the Middle East Morgan Ortagus argued the text was flawed, saying it “fails to condemn Hamas or recognise Israel’s right to defend itself, and it wrongly legitimises false narratives benefitting Hamas.”

The veto triggered strong rebukes from Palestinian and Arab representatives. Palestinian envoy Riyad Mansour said the move undermined the Council’s credibility, warning that veto power “should not be allowed when atrocity crimes are at stake.” Algeria’s UN ambassador Amar Bendjama apologised to Palestinians, saying: “The world speaks of rights but denies them to Palestinians… our sincere efforts shattered against this wall of rejection.”

Israel’s UN envoy Danny Danon, meanwhile, defended the military campaign and expressed gratitude to Washington, declaring Israel required “no justification” for its actions in Gaza.

The vote coincided with the 80th anniversary of the UN’s founding, described as a sombre moment by Al Jazeera’s diplomatic editor James Bays, who said the US position reflected “an America-first view of the world” in contrast to growing calls for multilateralism.

With inputs from ANI