US thwarts UN call for unilateral Israeli ceasfire

Fox News:

The United States late Saturday blocked approval of a U.N. Security Council statement calling for an immediate cease-fire between Israel and Gaza's Hamas rulers, diplomats said.

French U.N. Ambassador Jean-Maurice Ripert, the council president, said the 15 council members could not agree on a statement in closed discussions held after Israel launched a ground invasion into the Gaza Strip on Saturday. But he said there were "strong convergences" among the members to express concern about the deteriorating situation in Gaza and the need for "an immediate, permanent and fully respected cease-fire."

Libyan Ambassador Giadalla Ettalhi said the United States during the discussions objected to "any outcome" on the proposed statement. He said efforts were made to compromise on a weaker press statement but there was no consensus.

Several other council members, speaking on condition of anonymity because negotiations were closed, also said the U.S. was responsible for the council's failure to issue a statement.

The U.S., Israel's closest ally, has designated Hamas a terrorist organization. U.S. deputy ambassador Alejandro Wolff said the United States saw no prospect of Hamas abiding by last week's council call for an immediate end to the violence. Therefore, he said, a new statement "would not be adhered to and would have no underpinning for success, (and) would not do credit to the council."

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Stopping the Israeli ground offensive would not have stopped the Hamas rocket campaign. There is really a simple way to stop the war which Hamas has rejected. If Hamas stops attacking Israeli noncombatants the war will be over. Hamas continues to see some advantage in attacking those noncombatants and it also sees some advantage in its strategy of putting its own civilians in harms way. Hamas is running one of the most immoral military campaigns in history and the US is right to not let the UN bail them out with a cease fire that would not be honored.