The United States vetoed a draft United Nations Security Council resolution calling for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the Israeli war on Gaza. The U.S. instead called for a temporary ceasefire associated and directly linked to the release of the Hamas-held hostages.

The resolution, drafted by Algeria, received votes in favor from 13 Council members while Britain abstained. According to Reuters, this is the third time the United States has vetoed a draft resolution since the beginning of the violence on October 7.

“A vote in favor of this draft resolution is support to the Palestinians’ right to life,” said Algeria’s U.N. Ambassador Amar Bendjama, according to a Reuters report. “Conversely, voting against it implies an endorsement of the brutal violence and collective punishment inflicted upon them.”

Linda Thomas-Greenfield, U.S. ambassador to the U.N., made statements indicating the United States’ stance on the draft and that it would likely veto. 

A Reuters report shares a statement from Thomas-Greenfield’s prior to the official vote: “The United States does not support action on this draft resolution. Should it come up for a vote as drafted, it will not be adopted.”

Reports state that there have been talks between the U.S., Egypt, Israel and Qatar that would elicit a pause in the violence and render the release of the hostages. 

“Demanding an immediate, unconditional ceasefire without an agreement requiring Hamas to release the hostages will not bring about a durable peace,” Thomas-Greenfield told the Council before the vote, according to Reuters. “Instead, it could extend the fighting between Hamas and Israel,”

The resolution drafted by Algeria included provisions of an immediate ceasefire and immediate release of all hostages, but did not link the two. 

“The message given today to Israel with this veto is that it can continue to get away with murder,” Palestinian U.N. envoy Riyad Mansour told the Council, according to Reuters. 

Reuters also reported that Gilad Erdan, Israel’s U.N. ambassador, said the word ceasefire “as if it is a silver bullet, a magical solution to all of the region’s problems.”

“A ceasefire achieves one thing and one thing only — the survival of Hamas,” Erdan said in a Reuters report. “A ceasefire is a death sentence for many more Israelis and Gazans.”