LONDON, 21 Sept. - (ANA) - Amnesty International have condemned the United States’ sixth use of its veto to stop a United Nations resolution on a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, describing it as a “greenlight for Israel’s campaign of annihilation” in the enclave.

 

In another UN Security Council vote for an unconditional and permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, the US once again used its veto, shielding its ally, Israel, from any diplomatic accountability.

 

“It is morally reprehensible that instead of using its leverage to halt the endless catalogue of horrors, the USA has – yet again – abused its veto rights to effectively further greenlight Israel’s genocide against Palestinians in Gaza,” said Amnesty International’s Secretary General, Agnès Callamard.

 

Callamard adds that the veto is “especially devastating for Palestinians in Gaza City” amid a brutal Israeli offensive on the city that has killed hundreds of people this month, adding the US’s “massive military support” for Israel has enabled the “continuation of the genocide” and endangers the remaining Israeli captives held in the Gaza Strip.

 

“History will not forgive the USA for standing alone against the international community, emboldening Israel in its ongoing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza, and further eroding a fragile global legal system meant to protect human rights, but which has seen its norms and very legitimacy crushed by pervasive impunity and contempt for international law,” Callamard said.

 

The US argued that the wording of the resolution “legitimised narratives that benefit Hamas”, claiming it also failed to acknowledge the supposed threat of the Palestinian group or Israel’s justification for its war, which has killed over 65,000 Palestinians since October 2023.

 

The resolution also called for all Israeli restrictions on humanitarian aid to be lifted, amid a siege on the territory which has caused famine, as well as ensuring it is safely distributed to the Palestinians in need of it.

 

The resolution, initiated following the United Nations’ official declaration of famine in the Gaza Strip, was backed by 14 other members and rejected by another. Prior to this, the US vetoed another resolution in June, using its powers to back Israel.

 

The veto has been met with disappointment and frustration from fellow members of the Security Council and international observers, arguing that it undermines the UN’s credibility and the global consensus on addressing the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.   - (ANA) -

 

AB/ANA/21 September 2025 - - -