US blocks Gaza ceasefire resolution at UN Security Council

The United States vetoed Wednesday a UN Security Council resolution calling for a ceasefire and unrestricted humanitarian access in Gaza, which Washington claimed undermined ongoing diplomacy to resolve the conflict.

It was the 15-member body’s first vote on the situation since November, when the United States — a key Israeli ally — also blocked a text calling for an end to fighting.

“This resolution would undermine diplomatic efforts to reach a ceasefire that reflects the realities on the…