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

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.

Addressing Friday's UNSC emergency session, Secretary-General Antonio Guterres said there is "a high risk of the total collapse of the humanitarian support system in Gaza", which would have devastating consequences. The UN World Food Programme also warned that half of the population in Gaza is starving.

More than 17,000 Palestinians have reportedly been killed since the start of Israel's military operations in retaliation to Hamas' surprise attacks on Israel on Oct 7. Yet, the US still chooses to turn a blind eye to what is happening and not stay Israel's hand.

Both Washington and Tel Aviv should know the high moral ground they are claiming, with their assertion that Israel has the right of self-defense and justified cause for retaliation, is built on the immoral and illegal grounds of Israeli forces' collective punishment of innocent civilians.

Going around Congress, the Joe Biden administration said on Saturday that it has approved the emergency sale to Israel of nearly 14,000 rounds of tank ammunition worth more than $106 million as Israel intensifies its military operations in the southern Gaza Strip, exposing belligerent color of its feathers.

As Zhang Jun, Chinese ambassador to the UN, rightfully pointed out: It is contradictory to tolerate the continuation of the conflict while claiming to care about the safety and humanitarian needs of the people in Gaza. It is self-deceptive to advocate preventing the spillover of the conflict while tolerating its continuation.

All parties should put aside their selfish calculations and concentrate on the common goal of ending the fighting in Gaza, giving the Palestinian people hope for survival, and leaving hope for peace in the Middle East.