As Israel continues its genocidal rampage in Gaza, the United States provides critical support to Israel by vetoing Algeria’s immediate ceasefire resolution.
By Ugo Akpan
On Tuesday 20 February, as the Israeli threat of unleashing further death and destruction on Gaza with an attack on Rafah, the United States stood against the rest of humanity as it used its veto to quash a ceasefire resolution brought before the UN Security Council by Algeria. Britain, which is also providing weapons and most likely special forces assistance to Israel in support of its genocide, abstained from the vote.
Algerian Ambassador Benjama said the draft calls for a ceasefire, but the Council has failed once again to rise to the calls and aspirations of the people of the world. This failure does not absolve the Council of its mandate and the international community of its obligations, he said. “It is high time for the aggression to end” and for humanitarian assistance to reach all those in need across Gaza, he continued.
The current situation requires everyone to provide protection to the Palestinian people and put an end to the historic injustice they have suffered. The ambassador said that the people of his region have always looked to the Security Council, however, it has failed them once again.

Russian Ambassador Nebenzia said “today, we have witnessed another black page in the history of the Security Council”. It was again written by the US delegation, he continued, which pursues the same goal – to cover up on behalf of its closest Middle Eastern ally and play for time so that it can complete its “inhumane plans” for Gaza, namely to squeeze the Palestinians out of the Strip and completely “cleanse” the enclave. Full responsibility for the consequences falls on Washington, no matter how hard the US tries to evade it by talking about its “important mediation efforts”, he said.
Sierra Leone’s Ambassador Michal Imran Kanu said his delegation voted in favour of the draft because it is imperative to have an immediate humanitarian ceasefire, and the Council is mandated to act promptly and effectively. Some Council members had visited both the Rafah crossing and Israel, and the assessment has been that only such a ceasefire will put an end to the unbearable killings going on inside Gaza and certainly the “looming and unthinkable catastrophe” in Rafah.
The Ambassador of Mozambique, Pedro Comissário, said parties must comply with international humanitarian law, including in protecting civilians. “We call for full compliance with the provisional measures of the International Court of Justice and firmly oppose the forced displacement of Palestinian civilians, especially women and children,” he said. “We demand the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages and urge the international community and the Security Council to continue working tirelessly together towards achieving peace in the region based on a two-State solution,” he added.
Nicholas de Rivière, the Ambassador of France, regretted to note that the draft resolution could not be adopted, given the catastrophic situation on the ground. “There is an extreme urgency to conclude, without further delay, an agreement on a ceasefire which finally guarantees the protection of all civilians and the massive entry of emergency aid,” he said.

Chinese Ambassador Zhang Jun said the use of the veto by the US sends the wrong message, pushing Gaza further into crisis at a time when Palestinians are struggling on the brink of death. It is totally untenable of the US to argue that the draft jeopardizes ongoing talks. Meanwhile, the violence is destabilizing the entire region, and the Council must act quickly to stop the carnage, he said.
Meanwhile, as it blocks efforts for a ceasefire at the UNSC, The United States continues to rush lethal weapons to Israel to carries on its genocidal onslaught on Gaza.