Riyaz Khaliq Khaliq
21 February 2024•Update: 21 February 2024
ISTANBUL
The US veto at the UN Security Council against a cease-fire has pushed the besieged enclave of Gaza to a “more dangerous situation,” China warned on Wednesday.
“China voted in favor of a UN Security Council draft resolution that would have demanded an immediate humanitarian cease-fire in Gaza,” said Mao Ning, spokeswoman of China’s Foreign Ministry.
The US vetoed “it alone, pushing the situation in Gaza to a more dangerous situation,” he said.
“All relevant parties, including China, expressed strong disappointment,” said Mao.
The US Tuesday vetoed the latest attempt at the Council to demand an immediate humanitarian cease-fire in the besieged Gaza Strip, where the official death toll is rapidly approaching 30,000.
The draft resolution put forward by Algeria received widespread support in the council, with 13 of its 15 member states voting in favor.
The US was the sole nation to vote against it, and as a permanent council member, its opposition killed the resolution. The UK, another permanent member, abstained.
China’s top envoy at the UN Zhang Jun said: “The outcome of today's vote clearly shows that on the issue of a cease-fire to halt the fight in Gaza, it is not that the Security Council does not have an overwhelming consensus, but rather it is the exercise of veto by the United States that stifles the Council consensus.”
“The US veto sends a wrong message, pushing the situation in Gaza into a more dangerous one,” he added.
