Media Home
UN Web TV
UN Audiovisual Library
UN PhotoUN / GAZA RESOLUTION VETO
Download
There is no media available to download.
Share
STORY: UN / GAZA RESOLUTION VETO
TRT: 07:48
SOURCE: UNIFEED
RESTRICTIONS: NONE
LANGUAGES: ENGLISH / NATS
DATELINE: 18 SEPTEMBER 2025, NEW YORK CITY / FILE
FILE - NEW YORK CITY
1. Aerial shot, exterior United Nations Headquarters
18 SEPTEMBER 2025, NEW YORK CITY
2. Tilt down, Security Council
3. SOUNDBITE (English) Christina Markus Lassen, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, of Denmark:
“Famine has been confirmed in Gaza. Not projected. Not declared. Confirmed. Desperate mothers are forced to boil leaves to feed their children. Fathers search the rubble for sustenance. People are killed as they try to get food to survive. A generation risks being lost not only to war, but to hunger and despair. Meanwhile, Israel has expanded its military operation in Gaza City, further deepening the sufferings of civilians as a result. It is this catastrophic situation, this humanitarian and human failure, that has compelled us to act today.”
4. Wide shot, Council
5. SOUNDBITE (English) Christina Markus Lassen, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, of Denmark:
“First, an immediate, unconditional, and permanent ceasefire in Gaza, respected by all parties. Second, the immediate, dignified, and unconditional release of all hostages held by Hamas and other groups. And third, that the government of Israel immediately and unconditionally lifts all restrictions on the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza and ensures it's safe and unhindered distribution to the population in need of such assistance, in line with international humanitarian law.”
6. Wide shot, Council
7. SOUNDBITE (English) Morgan Ortagus, Counsellor Permanent Mission to the United Nations, United States:
“US opposition to this resolution will come as no surprise. It fails to condemn Hamas or recognize Israel's right to defend itself, and it wrongly legitimizes the false narratives benefiting Hamas, which have sadly found currency in this Council. Council members ignored when the United States made clear that this resolution was unacceptable. The Council instead opted for performative action designed to draw a veto that extends Hamas terrorists and those who fund them and support them and gives them a lifeline.”
8. Various shots, Council vote
9. UPSOUND (English) Sangjin Kim, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Republic of Korea:
“The draft resolution has not been adopted owing to the negative vote of a permanent member of the Council.”
10. Med shot, Israeli Ambassador Danny Danon
11. Med shot, Palestinian Ambassador Riyad Mansour
12. SOUNDBITE (English) Amar Bendjama, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Algeria:
“This Council has already failed twice. Failed twice in preventing genocide. Today it appears we are on the verge of witnessing a third failure. And at this moment there can be no ambiguity. Each of us must choose either to act to stop the genocide, or to be counted among those who were complicit.”
13. Wide shot, Council
14. SOUNDBITE (English) Riyad Mansour, Permanent Observer to the United Nations, Palestine:
“Babies dying of starvation. Snipers shooting children in the head. Civilians killed in mass. Families displaced again and again from ruins to ruins and from death to death. UN personnel and doctors and humanitarians and journalists targeted. Devastation and destruction rained down, pulverising an entire society. And Israeli officials openly mocking all of this and praising the real state value of Gaza. This draft resolution represents the bare minimum that humanity, legality, and morality dictate. It is deeply regrettable and painful that it has been blocked.”
15. Med shot, Ortagus
16. SOUNDBITE (English) Riyad Mansour, Permanent Observer to the United Nations, Palestine:
“No matter how many tens of thousands and hundreds of thousands of soldiers, they cannot erase from the face of Earth a nation, the Palestinian nation. Nor will they be able to succeed in a eradicating tens of thousands, millions of Palestinians. We are here to stay, and that is no power in earth that will negate our existence. So, for those who are living in denial and drunk with their ecstasy and victories, wake up! The only road is the road to peace. The only road is the road of the two-state solution. To live next to each other and peace and security. We are committed to that. The whole world is committed to that. There is only one party led with group of fanatic leaders who are refusing to accept that, and they are trying in a futile exercise to eradicate the existence of the Palestinian people and their national rights, including the right to self-determination and statehood and the right of the refugees.”
17. Wide shot, Danon addressing Council
18. SOUNDBITE (English) Danny Danon, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Israel:
“I know many of you are serious diplomats, yet were endorsing a draft resolution that dares to imply Israel is starving the people of Gaza, you echo the propaganda of Hamas. Ask yourselves, is that really a choice you are prepared to defend? Is that the part you wish to play? Reciting the script rather than speaking the truth? Facts are facts. The crossings are open. Humanitarian aid is moving in to Gaza through four active entry points. Yesterday alone, on Wednesday, September 17th, 226 aid trucks entered Gaza and 550 Gazans were evacuated for life-saving medical treatment.”
19. Wide shot, Danon addressing Council
20. SOUNDBITE (English) Danny Danon, Permanent Representative to the United Nations, Israel:
“While Ambassador Amar Bendjama chases applause, Israelis and Palestinians pay the price. The result is a draft text before us. A resolution that fails, fails to label Hamas as a terrorist organisation. Fails to condemn the October 7th massacre. Fails to demand Hamas disarm and end its rule in Gaza. This is not the product of diplomacy. It is the product of obstruction. It is not the work of mediators. It is the work of a ringleader for radicals and terrorists.”
21. Pan right, Council
The Security Council today (18 Sep) failed to adopt a resolution aimed at a permanent ceasefire, the release of all hostages, and the lifting of all restrictions on the entry of humanitarian aid into Gaza, due to a veto by the United States, a permanent member of the Council.
Speaking on behalf of the ten non-permanent members of the Council – wo jointly presented the resolution, Denmark’s Ambassador Christina Markus Lassen said, “famine has been confirmed in Gaza. Not projected. Not declared. Confirmed. Desperate mothers are forced to boil leaves to feed their children. Fathers search the rubble for sustenance. People are killed as they try to get food to survive. A generation risks being lost not only to war, but to hunger and despair. Meanwhile, Israel has expanded its military operation in Gaza City, further deepening the sufferings of civilians as a result.”
Lassen said, “t is this catastrophic situation, this humanitarian and human failure, that has compelled us to act today.”
Also speaking before the vote, United States’ representative Morgan Ortagus said, “US opposition to this resolution will come as no surprise. It fails to condemn Hamas or recognize Israel's right to defend itself, and it wrongly legitimizes the false narratives benefiting Hamas, which have sadly found currency in this Council.”
Ortagus said Council members had “ignored when the United States made clear that this resolution was unacceptable” and had “instead opted for performative action designed to draw a veto that extends Hamas terrorists and those who fund them and support them and gives them a lifeline.”
The vote received 14 votes in favour, one against, and no abstentions.
Speaking after the vote, Algeria’s Ambassador Amar Bendjama said the Council had “failed twice in preventing genocide,” and “today it appears we are on the verge of witnessing a third failure.”
Bendjama said, “at this moment there can be no ambiguity. Each of us must choose either to act to stop the genocide, or to be counted among those who were complicit.”
Palestine’s Ambassador Riyad Mansour told the Council that the draft resolution “represents the bare minimum that humanity, legality and morality dictate.”
Mansour said, “babies dying of starvation. Snipers shooting children in the head. Civilians killed in mass. Families displaced again and again from ruins to ruins and from death to death. UN personnel and doctors and humanitarians and journalists targeted. Devastation and destruction rained down, pulverising an entire society. And Israeli officials openly mocking all of this and praising the real state value of Gaza.”
He said it was “deeply regrettable and painful” that the resolution was vetoed.
Mansour said, “no matter how many tens of thousands and hundreds of thousands of soldiers, they cannot erase from the face of Earth a nation, the Palestinian nation. Nor will they be able to succeed in a eradicating tens of thousands, millions of Palestinians. We are here to stay, and that is no power in earth that will negate our existence. So, for those who are living in denial and drunk with their ecstasy and victories, wake up! The only road is the road to peace. The only road is the road of the two-state solution. To live next to each other and peace and security. We are committed to that. The whole world is committed to that. There is only one party led with group of fanatic leaders who are refusing to accept that, and they are trying in a futile exercise to eradicate the existence of the Palestinian people and their national rights, including the right to self-determination and statehood and the right of the refugees.”
For his part, Israel’s Ambassador Danny Danon said “I know many of you are serious diplomats, yet were endorsing a draft resolution that dares to imply Israel is starving the people of Gaza, you echo the propaganda of Hamas. Ask yourselves, is that really a choice you are prepared to defend? Is that the part you wish to play? Reciting the script rather than speaking the truth? Facts are facts. The crossings are open. Humanitarian aid is moving in to Gaza through four active entry points. Yesterday alone, on Wednesday, September 17th, 226 aid trucks entered Gaza and 550 Gazans were evacuated for life-saving medical treatment.”
Addressing the Algerian Ambassador directly, Danon said, “while Ambassador Amar Bendjama chases applause, Israelis and Palestinians pay the price. The result is a draft text before us. A resolution that fails, fails to label Hamas as a terrorist organisation. Fails to condemn the October 7th massacre. Fails to demand Hamas disarm and end its rule in Gaza. This is not the product of diplomacy. It is the product of obstruction. It is not the work of mediators. It is the work of a ringleader for radicals and terrorists.”
Today’s was the 10,000th meeting of the Council.
