Listeners:
Top listeners:
play_arrow

By Stefan J. Bos, Chief International Correspondent Worthy News
NEW YORK (Worthy News) – The United States on Wednesday vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire in Israel’s war against Hamas in Gaza because it was not linked to the immediate release of hostages.
Fourteen of the Security Council’s 15 members, including U.S. allies Britain and France, voted “yes,” but the veto doomed the vote.
The U.S. voted against it, saying the resolution overlooked those taken captive by Hamas fighters in Israel on October 7, 2023.
U.S. Deputy Ambassador Robert Wood said the United States worked for weeks to avoid vetoing the resolution sponsored by the council’s 10 elected members and expressed regret that compromise language was not accepted.
“We made clear throughout negotiations we could not support an unconditional cease-fire that failed to release the hostages,” he said.
“Hamas would have seen it as a vindication of its cynical strategy to hope and pray the international community forgets about the fate of more than 100 hostages from more than 20 member states who have been held for 410 days.”
The resolution does call for the release of all hostages, but observers said the wording suggests that their release would come only after a cease-fire.
FOUTH VETO
The veto was the fourth time the United States blocked an effort by the Council to demand a cease-fire since the war began over a year ago.
The armed conflict was triggered by Hamas attacking Israel, killing some 1,200 people and taking more than 200 people hostage in the worst atrocity against Jews since the Holocaust, or Shoah.
More than 40,000 people have been killed in Gaza throughout the war, according to the Hamas-run health authorities, but those figures have been
difficult to verify independently.
Israel says nearly half of those killed in Israeli strikes are Hamas fighters, often hiding among civilians.
United Nations officials have warned that the territory “faces the risk of famine” unless a ceasefire is implemented.
Israel says it allows humanitarian aid to enter Gaza but that many packages have been taken by Hamas or sold for high prices at markets.
Copyright 1999-2026 Worthy News. This article was originally published on Worthy News and was reproduced with permission.
Anti-immigration and local parties made gains in municipal elections in the Netherlands, where concerns over rising migration from mainly Islamic countries, the financial impact of climate policies, and increased defense spending have dominated national and local debates.
Israel signaled Thursday it would refrain from further attacks on energy infrastructure after a strike on Iran’s vast South Pars natural gas field triggered retaliatory strikes across the Middle East, sending oil and natural gas prices sharply higher and raising fears of a wider regional escalation.
European Union leaders condemned Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s decision on Thursday to block a 90 billion euro ($98 billion) loan for Ukraine, linking his stance to a dispute with Kyiv over Russian oil supplies.
Families and friends of scores of Christians held in Iranian prisons have requested prayers as “concerns for their well-being grow and communication has all but ceased” amid ongoing U.S.-Israeli strikes against Iran, Christians told Worthy News Thursday.
As a marathon debate over the SAVE America Act continues in the U.S. Senate, Republicans and Democrats are sparring over whether the voter ID bill would strengthen election security or discourage potential voters.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared Thursday that Iran has lost its ability to enrich uranium and manufacture ballistic missiles following nearly three weeks of coordinated U.S.-Israeli airstrikes, marking a significant escalation in the ongoing regional conflict.
Israel dramatically expanded its military campaign against Iran, striking Iranian Navy targets in the Caspian Sea for the first time since the launch of “Operation Roaring Lion,” the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) confirmed Thursday.
The Psalms, hymns, and spiritual songs encapsulate the beauty, wisdom, and eternal truths found in the Bible, creating an immersive experience that resonates with believers and seekers alike.
Copyright The New Jerusalem Media.