US veto of immediate call for cease-fire has left regional peace and security 'on the precipice'

China joined members of the world community to express deep disappointment and regret over the United States' veto of a United Nations Security Council draft resolution calling for a humanitarian cease-fire in Gaza on Friday. The irresponsible US move has deprived the besieged Palestinians the humanitarian assistance they desperately need.

The draft resolution put forward by the United Arab Emirates and backed by over 90 member states received 13 votes and one abstention from the United Kingdom. The only rejection came from the US, a permanent member of the UNSC with veto power. Its veto has effectively shattered any hope for UNSC action, leaving the world once again helpless in the face of the worsening humanitarian disaster in Gaza.

Fighting between Israel and Hamas resumed on Dec 1 after a seven-day truce expired without any further agreement on an extension between the two belligerent parties. Israeli forces have not only strengthened their occupation in northern Gaza but also entered southern Gaza, where hundreds of thousands of Palestinians were driven by the previous Israeli offensives in the north.