STORY: Arab League condemns U.S. veto of Gaza ceasefire resolution
SHOOTING TIME: Feb. 21/20, 2024
DATELINE: Feb. 22, 2024
LENGTH: 00:00:41
LOCATION: Cairo
CATEGORY: POLITICS

SHOTLIST:
1. various of the Arab League (file)
2. various of the Arab League's statement on its website 
2. various of U.S. ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield voting against a Gaza-related Security Council draft resolution at the UN headquarters in New York, on Feb. 20, 2024 (courtesy to the UN)

STORYLINE:

Secretary-General of the Arab League (AL) Ahmed Aboul Gheit on Wednesday condemned the United States for vetoing a resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, the AL said in a statement.

Aboul Gheit voiced his "deep regret" over the U.S. move, the third time since the outbreak of the Israel-Hamas conflict in October of last year that the U.S. interfered to fail a draft resolution aimed to reach a ceasefire, read the statement.

During an emergency session of the UN Security Council held in New York on Tuesday, the U.S. vetoed a resolution put forward on behalf of Arab states by Algeria demanding an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the Palestinian enclave.

The U.S. positions undermined the credibility of the international system and contributed to the paralysis witnessed by the United Nations, Aboul Gheit was quoted as saying in the AL statement.

Aboul Gheit also underlined "the political and moral responsibility" of the U.S. for prolonging the Israeli offensive in Gaza.

Algeria's draft resolution was backed by 13 out of the 15 Security Council members, while the United States vetoed against it and Britain abstained.

Before the vote on the draft resolution, U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said the Algerian draft would jeopardize ongoing efforts toward a hostage deal. She said her delegation was working on a rival draft resolution that would call for a "temporary ceasefire" based on the formula that all hostages are released.

The ongoing Israeli air and ground strikes on Gaza came in retaliation to a surprise attack by Hamas, the Gaza-ruling faction, on Israel which killed about 1,200 people on Oct. 7 last year.

Xinhua News Agency correspondents reporting from Cairo.
(XHTV)