From [HERE] On Wednesday, the US again used its veto power on the UN Security Council to kill a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, a vote that came as Israel is carrying out an ethnic cleansing campaign in northern Gaza, and aid levels in the Strip are at the lowest level yet.

The resolution failed in a vote of 14-1 as every other member of the 15-member Security Council, including the UK, supported the call for a ceasefire. The five permanent members — the US, the UK, France, Russia, and China — all have veto power.

The resolution demanded “an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire to be respected by all parties, and further” reiterates a “demand for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.”

Even though the resolution called for the unconditional release of Israeli hostages in Gaza, the US justified its veto by saying it didn’t make the hostage release a condition for a ceasefire. “We made clear throughout negotiations we could not support an unconditional ceasefire that failed to release the hostages,” said Robert Wood, the deputy US ambassador to the UN, who cast the vote to veto the resolution.

The vote marked the fourth time the US vetoed a Security Council resolution calling for an end to the US-backed Israeli genocidal war on Gaza. The ambassador from Algeria, a non-permanent member of the Council, slammed the US veto.

“Today’s message is clear to the Israeli occupying power: First you may continue your genocide. You may continue your collective punishment of the Palestinian people with complete impunity. In this chamber, you enjoy immunity,” said Ambassador Amar Bendjama.

The vote came just a few days after the US criticized Russia for vetoing a Security Council resolution calling for a ceasefire in Sudan. “It is shocking that Russia has vetoed an effort to save lives – though perhaps, it shouldn’t be,” said US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield, who has cast previous votes to veto Gaza ceasefire resolutions.