Silence of law, sound of veto: Washington’s seal of approval on genocide in Gaza

Amnesty International said that with the U.S. veto of the sixth Security Council resolution on a ceasefire in Gaza, the path has once more been paved for the continuation of the Zionist regime’s genocide in the region.

Agnes Callamard, Secretary General of Amnesty International, reacting to the U.S. veto of the Security Council draft resolution — which called for an immediate ceasefire, the lifting of all restrictions on the entry of humanitarian aid and guarantees for its safe distribution, and the immediate release of all detainees — said: “For the sixth time, the United States has vetoed a UN Security Council resolution that aimed to end the unbearable suffering of more than two million Palestinians in Gaza who are struggling to survive the ruthless genocide by Israel that is occurring before the world’s eyes.”

She added: “It is morally reprehensible that the United States, instead of using its leverage to stop the endless list of horrors, has once again abused its veto power to further enable Israel’s genocide against Palestinians in Gaza. The vote results — 14 in favor and only one against — show that the U.S. stands alone on this. It is now up to the General Assembly to take decisive action.”

The consequences of vetoing this resolution are especially devastating for Palestinians in Gaza City, where the Zionist regime has launched an unprecedented campaign of destruction that is horrifically driving hundreds of thousands of residents out of the city and into unsafe and unsuitable areas in the south of the Gaza Strip.

Israel’s assault is accelerating the erasure of the ancient city, its heritage, and its Palestinian identity. That this veto occurred only two days after the release of a report by the UN Commission of Inquiry (COI) concluding that Israeli officials and forces are committing genocide against Palestinians in Gaza makes the action all the more condemnable.

Callamard said the U.S. government has shown lethal indifference to the survival of Palestinians in Gaza through continued extensive military support to Israel — which has enabled and sustained the commission of genocide — as well as unconditional political and diplomatic backing, including through the recent veto.

She added that history will not absolve the United States for standing alone against the international community, for emboldening the Israeli regime in its ongoing genocide of Palestinians in Gaza, and for further eroding a fragile system of international law that was meant to protect human rights but has lost its norms and legitimacy due to pervasive impunity and disregard for international law.

Callamard warned that continued support and arming of the Israeli regime while it pursues its relentless campaign of destruction in Gaza increases the risk of U.S. complicity in war crimes, crimes against humanity, and genocide.

She said all countries must apply much greater pressure on the Israeli regime, including through an immediate ban on the supply, sale, or transfer — direct or indirect — of all weapons and surveillance equipment, and by halting any trade or investment ties that assist or are directly linked to the Israeli regime’s international crimes.