New York, 20 November 2024 (dpa/MIA) - The United States has once again blocked the adoption of a legally binding UN resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.

Robert Wood, the deputy US ambassador to the United Nations, vetoed the resolution in the Security Council on Wednesday. All other members of the 15-member body voted in favour.

The text was submitted by all 10 non-permanent members of the UN's most powerful body.

But after weeks of negotiations and changes at the request of the US, there was still disagreement.

The US, a staunch ally of Israel, had demanded unsuccessfully to have the ceasefire linked to the release of hostages still being held by Hamas militants in the Palestinian territory.

Wood defended the US position: "This resolution would have sent a dangerous message to Hamas: there's no need to come back to the negotiating table."

He said it was the Islamist group, not Israel, that was standing in the way of a solution to the conflict.

Leading diplomats on the Security Council have recently expressed increasing frustration with Washington, which they feel has been unwilling to put greater pressure on the Israeli government.

"No matter how hard we tried, today's US veto is inevitable," one diplomat said before the vote.

Voting despite the certain US veto was also seen as a way of making the US position public.

The atmosphere in the Security Council has long been frosty, partly because of constant obstructions by Russia - which is a permanent member - in matters relating to the Ukraine war.

However, ambassadors reported that relations have reached a new low in recent weeks.

The US has blocked a number of UN draft resolutions, including at least four relating to ceasefires, since the Hamas attack on Israel more than a year ago and the subsequent devastating war in Gaza.

Only the permanent members - the US, Russia, China, France and the United Kingdom - have the right to veto resolutions.

Photo: MIA Archive