The 10,000th Meeting of the United Nations Security Council (2025)

The 10,000th meeting of the United Nations Security Council took place on 18 September 2025 at the UN Headquarters in New York with the main agenda being the humanitarian situation in Gaza.

During the meeting, a new resolution draft on Gaza was put to a vote. The draft called for an immediate unconditional and permanent ceasefire in Gaza the unconditional release of all hostages held by Hamas and other armed groups and the lifting of all humanitarian aid restrictions imposed by Israel on the region. The draft was rejected by a single negative vote from the United States of America while 14 of the Council’s 15 members voted in favor.

Preparation of the Draft

The draft resolution on ceasefire and humanitarian aid for Gaza discussed at the 10,000th meeting of the United Nations Security Council was prepared by one of the Council’s ten elected non-permanent members. The sponsors of the draft included Algeria Denmark Greece Guyana Pakistan Panama the Republic of Korea Sierra Leone Slovenia and Somalia.

These countries stated that they represent diverse regions and were selected by the General Assembly thus reflecting the will of all UN members. Danish representative Christina Markus Lassen noted that the draft emerged after weeks of consultations and emphasized that its sole purpose was to alleviate the humanitarian suffering in Gaza and contribute to ending the war.

The drafting countries reported that famine had been officially confirmed in Gaza that mothers were boiling leaves to feed their children that people searching for food had lost their lives and that an entire generation faced the risk of being lost. In this context it was stated that the draft had been urgently brought forward due to an “humanitarian and moral failure”.

Submission and Outcome of the Vote

On 18 September 2025 during the vote 14 of the 15 members of the Security Council voted “yes” on the draft. Only the United States of America voted “no” with no abstentions recorded.

According to the functioning rules of the United Nations Security Council a negative vote by any of the permanent members blocks the adoption of a draft resolution. Consequently the U.S. veto resulted in the rejection of the draft.

This was the sixth U.S. veto used during the Gaza conflict that began in 2023. The outcome of the vote prevented the Council from adopting a binding decision on achieving a ceasefire in Gaza releasing hostages and ensuring unimpeded humanitarian access.

U.S. Justification for the Veto

U.S. representative Morgan Ortagus stated prior to the vote that Washington’s opposition would “not come as a surprise to anyone”. The United States argued that the draft was unacceptable because it did not explicitly condemn Hamas or recognize Israel’s right to legitimate self-defense.

Ortagus claimed that the draft legitimized misleading narratives benefiting Hamas endangered Israel’s security and would enable Hamas to rearm. The U.S. representative also questioned the methodology of international reports confirming famine in Gaza asserting that the assessments were based on “faulty methodology”.

Palestine’s Response

Palestine’s Permanent Observer to the United Nations Riyad Mansur described the U.S. veto as “deeply distressing”. Mansur stated that the draft represented the minimum requirement of humanity law and conscience but that the veto had prevented the Security Council from fulfilling its responsibility to protect civilians.

Mansur emphasized that any call for a ceasefire to halt the violence in Gaza and attacks on civilians cannot be conditioned, justified, or delayed by any requirement or excuse. He also stated, “Israel has no right to kill Palestinians, commit genocide, carry out ethnic cleansing, or starve them.”

The Palestinian side argued that the veto undermined the authority and credibility of the Security Council and asserted that the veto power must not be used in such circumstances. Mansur stressed that the international community must act outside the Council and take concrete steps to deter Israel. He also noted that the Palestinian issue would be a central item on the agenda of the upcoming United Nations General Assembly session.

Israel’s Response

Israel’s representative to the United Nations characterized the draft resolution as “theater.” According to the representative, the text presented for voting reflected “Hamas propaganda” by falsely claiming that Israel was implementing starvation as a policy in Gaza. Israel asserted that crossing points into Gaza remained open, humanitarian aid was reaching the area, and “there was never a policy of starvation.”

Furthermore, Israel’s representative criticized the draft resolution for failing to designate Hamas as a terrorist organization, for not condemning the October 7, 2023 attacks, and for lacking any explicit demand for Hamas’s disarmament and removal from governance.

Reactions from Member States

Following the rejection of the draft resolution by the United States veto, numerous country representatives spoke out in the Security Council.

Algeria’s representative, Amar Bendjama, repeated “Forgive us” after the vote to draw attention to the heavy loss of life in Gaza. He stated that more than 18,000 children, over 12,000 women, more than 4,000 elderly people, over 1,400 doctors and nurses, more than 250 journalists, and over 500 humanitarian workers had been killed in Israeli attacks. He also noted that famine had spread, that the Council had failed even to condemn it, and that Israel was protected not by international law but by “the bias of the international system.”

Pakistan’s representative, Asim Ahmad, described the veto as “a dark moment for this chamber,” asserting that the paralysis of the Council sent a message that the lives of millions could be disregarded. He also highlighted that this situation endangered the safety of hostages.

Somalia’s representative defined the failure to adopt the resolution as a “profound moral failure,” emphasizing that the perception that some people’s suffering is more tolerable than others’ undermines the foundations of the United Nations. He further stated that this undermines the principle of equality in the international order.

China’s representative stated that the United States had “abused” its veto power, while Russia’s representative argued that no progress could be made in the Council as long as the United States maintained its approach. Russia also noted that the U.S. claim of “quiet diplomacy” contradicted Israel’s actual actions on the ground.

United Kingdom’s representative said the famine in Gaza was “entirely man-made,” stressing that Palestinians dying of hunger, particularly newborns and children undergoing dialysis, were being forced to survive under bombardment. He also noted that Israel’s military operations had further distanced the possibility of any ceasefire agreement.

France’s representative reiterated its condemnation of Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attacks, affirmed the necessity of Hamas’s disarmament and removal from governance, and stressed that Israel must fulfill its international obligations and allow unhindered humanitarian aid access to Gaza.

Sierra Leone’s representative recalled that the prevention of genocide is a binding obligation for all states. Referring to the International Court of Justice’s ruling in Bosnia and Herzegovina v. Serbia, the representative stated that failure to act would render the Council complicit in genocide. The representative also emphasized that states cannot assist perpetrators when they know that genocide is being committed or is about to be committed.

Background of the Humanitarian Situation

The draft resolution introduced at the meeting was based on the increasingly dire humanitarian conditions in Gaza. International reports have confirmed that famine has officially been identified in Gaza and is spreading. Accounts described mothers boiling leaves to feed their children, civilians losing their lives while searching for food, and basic needs going unmet.

The losses suffered by civilians also featured prominently in the discussions. Casualties in Gaza have reached severe proportions. As of 2025, more than 65,000 Palestinians in Gaza have been reported killed. The collapse of Gaza’s healthcare system and living conditions has also been documented. During statements at the Council, emphasis was placed on infants dying in incubators, dialysis patients and children being subjected to bombardment. It was further stated that unless obstacles to the delivery of humanitarian aid are removed, the catastrophe will deepen further.