In a major blow to efforts to achieve a ceasefire in Gaza, the United States vetoed a UN Security Council resolution on Friday that called for an immediate end to the fighting. The resolution, submitted by the United Arab Emirates and backed by Arab leaders, aimed to halt the Israeli invasion of Gaza. However, Washington, as a veto-wielding member of the Security Council, refused to support the motion. The US deputy ambassador to the UN, Robert Wood, justified the veto by stating that if Israel were to lay down its arms, Hamas would continue to hold hostages. He added that this was not a threat that any government would allow.

The US has been increasing its pressure on Israel to avoid civilian casualties, and the British Foreign Secretary, Lord Cameron, stated that Israel must behave differently in southern Gaza. Meanwhile, Israel has intensified its air strikes on the Gaza Strip, with observers predicting that the military operation to destroy Hamas may be reaching its peak. The UN Security Council had voted on the ceasefire resolution after the UN Secretary-General, Antonio Guterres, triggered Article 99 to bring the humanitarian situation in Gaza to the council's attention. The vote was delayed to give Arab leaders more time to try to persuade the United States to abstain. However, the resolution was ultimately vetoed by the US, with Britain abstaining.

The US veto has split opinion in the West, with the EU supporting the UN's calls for a ceasefire, while the UK opposes ending Israel's offensive. The UK ambassador to the UN, Dame Barbara Woodward, stated that Britain backs "further and longer pauses" to provide aid to Palestinians and allow for the release of Israeli hostages. France, another veto-wielding member, initially warned against rushing into a vote but ended up backing the resolution.

Military sources in Israel described the fighting in Gaza as peaking, with air strikes increasing in the south and troops pushing into the Hamas stronghold of Khan Younis. However, it is predicted that the time for fighting is limited due to international and socio-economic pressures. While the capture or killing of Hamas's top leadership may provide political cover to stop the offensive, it will take more than that to end the conflict. Israelis are not willing to pull out of Gaza until all hostages have been returned or their fate is known.

The US has been pressuring Israel to do more to protect Palestinian civilians during the offensive. The UN Secretary-General declared that nowhere in Gaza is safe for civilians, highlighting the spiraling humanitarian nightmare. The US vetoed the Security Council resolution, stating that a ceasefire would only benefit Hamas, which Israel has vowed to annihilate in response to the militants' deadly cross-border rampage in October. The US instead supports pauses in the fighting to allow for the release of hostages and the flow of humanitarian aid.

The collapse of Gaza's humanitarian system is a major concern, with hospitals overrun, food running out, and most Gazans displaced. The Palestinian death toll continues to rise, with intensified fighting reported in both northern and southern areas of Gaza. Israel's military reported 94 Israeli soldiers killed in Gaza since the ground invasion began. The situation in Gaza is described as being at a breaking point, with the collapse of the humanitarian system potentially leading to a complete breakdown of public order.

Despite the veto, there are still calls for a ceasefire, with international concerns about the humanitarian situation in Gaza. The White House stated that more can be done by Israel to reduce civilian casualties, and Secretary of State Antony Blinken emphasized the need for Israel to take steps to safeguard Gaza's civilian population. However, Israel insists that a ceasefire will only be possible once all hostages are returned and Hamas is destroyed. The situation in Gaza remains dire, with no sign of a resolution in sight.