US envoy to UN says Washington ‘could not vote yes’ on Security Council resolution

Explaining the US decision to abstain in the UN Security Council vote on a resolution calling for humanitarian pauses in Gaza along with the immediate release of the hostages, US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield says the Biden administration principally supports what was in the draft but could not actively support it due to what went unmentioned.

“Ultimately, the United States could not vote yes on a text that did not condemn Hamas or reaffirm the right of all Member States to protect their citizens from terrorist attacks,” Thomas-Greenfield says.

The US envoy acknowledges that the resolution on its own won’t make a difference on the ground, which is why the Biden administration is working with international actors to respond to the crisis, secure the release of the hostages, and keep the conflict from spreading.

It also means planning now for what Gaza will look like after the war, Thomas-Greenfield says, reiterating the US call for a unified West Bank and Gaza Strip governed by the Palestinian Authority on a pathway to a two-state solution.