Israel kept up its deadly bombardment of war-torn Gaza on Tuesday as Washington vetoed a U.N. Security Council resolution that called for a cease-fire in the Palestinian territory, where concern mounted about a growing humanitarian crisis.
Global powers trying to navigate a way out of the spiraling crisis have come up short, with a so-far fruitless push by mediators to reach a truce and two rival cease-fire proposals put forward at the United Nations.
Washington on Tuesday vetoed the first proposal, drafted by Algeria, which demanded an immediate humanitarian cease-fire and "unconditional" release of all hostages kidnapped in the Oct. 7 attacks.
Linda Thomas-Greenfield, Washington's ambassador to the U.N., called the vote "wishful and irresponsible."
The veto provoked criticism from countries including China, Russia, Saudi Arabia, and even close U.S. allies including France and Slovenia.
With President Joe Biden facing increasing pressure to dial down support for Israel, Washington also put forward an alternative draft resolution on Gaza, giving support for "a temporary cease-fire in Gaza as soon as practicable."
As diplomatic powers wrangled, Israel hit Gaza with air and ground assaults that killed a total of 103 Palestinians in the past 24 hours, its health ministry said.
The ministry said Israeli strikes continued into Tuesday night, with one killing at least 15 people at a house in central Gaza's Deir al-Balah. The southernmost city of Rafah was also bombed.
The World Food Programme resumed deliveries Sunday but its convoy was met with gunfire, violence, looting, people trying to climb onto the vans, and a truck driver was beaten, it said Tuesday.
Source: Newsmax