U.S. veto of Gaza cease-fire at UN provides cover for genocide: Hamas

Hamas described U.S. veto against a UN Security Council draft resolution Wednesday on cease-fire in the Gaza Strip a "hostile stance" that disregards the will of the international community.

The Palestinian resistance group said it provides cover for the continuation of genocide.

Hamas said in a statement that the veto again "proves that Washington is a direct partner in the aggression against our people, the killing of children and women, and the destruction of civilian life in Gaza. It bears direct responsibility for the genocide and ethnic cleansing, just as the occupation does."

It condemned the veto in the strongest terms, noting that the blocked resolution demanded "an immediate cease-fire, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, and saving our people from the humanitarian catastrophe caused by the occupation under U.S. cover over months of war, particularly in the north."

The group urged the U.S. to "cease this reckless and hostile policy if it truly seeks to end wars and achieve security and stability in the region, as claimed by the elected administration."

Hamas also urged the international community to "put an end to this American overreach against the will of the international community, which has resulted in nothing but wars, death, destruction, and chaos in the region and beyond."

The U.S. vetoed the resolution earlier Wednesday that also urged the prevention of the starvation of Palestinians.

The draft resolution, submitted by 10 elected members of the Council -- Algeria, Ecuador, Guyana, Malta, Mozambique, South Korea, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, and Switzerland --- received 14 votes.

It "demanded an immediate, unconditional, and permanent cease-fire to be respected by all parties," while reiterating the "demand for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages" as it urged the Security Council to fulfill its responsibility to maintain international peace and security.

The U.S. previously vetoed three Security Council draft resolutions that called for an urgent cease-fire in Gaza -- in October 2023, December 2023 and in February, while abstaining in votes on other draft resolutions.

Israel has launched a genocidal war on Gaza following an attack last year by Hamas. The ensuing Israeli onslaught has killed nearly 44,000 people, most of them women and children, and injured more than 104,000.

The second year of genocide in Gaza has drawn increasing international recognition, with figures and institutions labeling Israel's actions as a deliberate attempt to destroy a population.

Israel faces a genocide case at the International Court of Justice for its deadly war on Gaza.