by Worthy News Jerusalem Bureau Staff
(Worthy News) – The United Nations Security Council on Wednesday held a pivotal vote on a draft resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza — a resolution that notably made no mention of the Israeli hostages still held by Hamas. The resolution gained overwhelming support from 14 of the 15 member states, but was ultimately blocked by a veto from the United States.
Acting U.S. Ambassador to the UN, Dorothy Shea, defended the decision before the vote, saying the resolution was “flawed from the start” for failing to condemn Hamas or call for its disarmament and withdrawal from Gaza.
“This resolution would undermine diplomatic efforts to reach a ceasefire that reflects the realities on the ground and embolden Hamas,” Shea said, reaffirming the U.S. position that any ceasefire must be tied to the unconditional release of hostages held in Gaza since October 7.
Israel’s Ambassador to the UN, Danny Danon, sharply rebuked the resolution and expressed gratitude to the United States for standing firm.
“I thank the United States for demonstrating moral clarity and leadership at the UN Security Council by vetoing the one-sided resolution against Israel,” Danon stated. “The resolution that was brought to a vote called for a ceasefire in Gaza without conditioning such a ceasefire on the immediate and unconditional release of the hostages — a gift to Hamas.”
Danon warned that such actions by the international body send a perilous message to terrorists worldwide: “Reject every proposal and the international community will reward you; hold innocent civilians hostage and the UN will grant you legitimacy.”
He emphasized that Israel would not back down: “As long as the hostages remain in Gaza, there will be no ceasefire. Israel will continue to apply military pressure and use all necessary means until every hostage is brought home.”
The vote comes amid heightened tensions over international efforts to end the ongoing conflict. Critics of the resolution say it risks legitimizing terror tactics by Hamas, while proponents argue that a ceasefire is critical to alleviating the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
The Security Council session underscored the deep divisions among world powers over the path to peace in the region, with the U.S. holding firm that any resolution must include conditions to safeguard against further violence and hostage-taking.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
More Worthy News
The Trump administration has finalized a sweeping reciprocal trade agreement with Taiwan, confirming a 15 percent U.S. tariff rate on Taiwanese imports while securing broad new market access and purchase commitments for American goods.
Democrats are applauding White House border czar Tom Homan’s Thursday announcement that immigration enforcement operation in Minnesota will end next week.
Democrats in the U.S. Senate tanked the Homeland Security full-year funding bill in a last-ditch vote Thursday, all but guaranteeing a partial government shutdown starting Saturday.
Mourners in a remote Canadian town grappled Thursday with the aftermath of one of the country’s deadliest school shootings in decades, as families, survivors and leaders reacted to the tragedy that left eight victims — most of them children — dead, along with the 18-year-old suspect.
A gunman who opened fire at a school in southern Thailand’s Hat Yai city on Wednesday wounded a teacher and a student before being detained, authorities said, in a rare attack that sent students and staff into panic.
The Republican-led House of Representatives has passed the Safeguard American Voter Eligibility (SAVE) America Act, advancing legislation that would require proof of citizenship to register to vote and photo identification at the polls. The bill now heads to the Senate, where its future remains uncertain amid strong Democratic opposition.
Israel’s Ministry of Defense announced on Wednesday that its advanced David’s Sling air and missile defense system has completed a series of complex modernized tests, a development officials say bolsters the country’s defensive posture as tensions with Iran escalate and the United States prepares military options that could include direct strikes.