The United States on Wednesday vetoed a UN Security Council draft resolution that called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, drawing harsh criticism from most of the UN members. veto /ˈviːtoʊ/：行使否决权；反对；否定 The 15-member council voted 14-1 in favor of the resolution, and the United States used its veto as a permanent council member to block it.
The draft, put forward by the council's 10 non-permanent members, demanded an immediate, unconditional and permanent ceasefire, as well as the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.
"The US single use of veto has shattered the Gazan people's hope for survival and pushed them further into darkness and desperation."
"We cannot imagine how the vote today, as well as the Council's failure to respond to the Gaza conflict over the past 13 months, can escape the harsh judgment of history."
"When the US cast its first veto on October 18 last year, nearly 3,000 civilians had been killed in Gaza. By the time the US cast its second veto, 17,000 people had been killed as a result of Israeli bombardment. With its continued use of veto, when the US cast its fifth veto on April 18 this year, the death toll in Gaza had surged to 34,000. Now, nearly 44,000 people have been killed in Gaza, and the US still do not hesitate to use its veto."
"44,000. This is not just a number. Behind it could be a child, a nursing mother, or a breadwinner of a family. The loss of each and every one of them means eternal pain for the surviving relatives."
"People cannot help but ask: do Palestinian lives mean nothing? Can the deaths of 44,000 people not win even a little bit of sympathy from the United States? How many more people have to die to wake them up from pretending asleep?"
"Our position has been very clear from the beginning. All hostages must be released. An immediate and unconditional ceasefire must be established. Both are important. There should be no preconditions attached, and the two things should not be linked to each other. Facts have shown that Israel’s military operations in Gaza have long exceeded the scope of rescuing hostages. Insistence on setting preconditions for a ceasefire is tantamount to giving the green light to prolong the war and condone the continued killing.”
"The world should not grow accustomed to the death of Palestinians,” stressed the observer of the State of Palestine, adding: “Maybe — for some — we have the wrong nationality, the wrong faith, the wrong skin color; but we are humans, and we should be treated as such."
Although a ceasefire "doesn’t resolve everything, but it is the first step to resolving anything", he said.
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