US vetoes UN resolution calling for immediate ceasefire in Gaza after proposing a temporary halt in fighting

The United States has vetoed a resolution at the United Nations calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, an anticipated move that, while supportive of Israel, comes amid signs of American frustration with Israel’s war.

The US had already signaled its intention to veto the Algerian resolution, but has grown increasingly critical of Israel’s conduct in Gaza and on Monday proposed its own Security Council draft resolution that for the first time calls for a “temporary ceasefire” in the conflict. It also pointedly warns Israel against launching an offensive of Rafah in southern Gaza.

For months, the administration had avoided using the term “ceasefire.” But President Joe Biden’s recent use of it, along with the latest US resolution, signal a shift, as the White House tries to help broker a deal between Israel and Hamas that would see Israeli hostages released and a longer pause in the fighting.