The United States on Tuesday vetoed a draft UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate end to Israeli military operations in the Gaza Strip that have cost some 68 Palestinian lives.
A total of 11 nations voted in favour of the measure in the 15-member council. Britain, Germany and Romania abstained and US Ambassador John Danforth exercised his veto power by voting "no."
The veto was the 80th by the United States in 59 years. Some 29 vetoes concerned the Israeli-Palestinian conflict. The last was on March 25 against Israel's assassination of Hamas leader Ahmed Yassin.
The draft resolution would have demanded "the immediate cessation of all military operations in the area of northern Gaza" and the withdrawal of Israeli forces.
Israel launched the offensive after a Palestinian rocket strike killed two children in the southern town of Sderot last Wednesday. Some 2,000 troops as well as tanks and attack helicopters were used.
Britain, Germany and Russia attempted to get a last minute compromise by adding some amendments but the effort failed.
Voting in favour of the resolution were Russia, France, China, Spain, Angola, Chile, Pakistan, Algeria, Benin, Brazil and the Philippines.
Danforth told the council the resolution was "lopsided and unbalanced," lacked credibility and deserved a "no" vote.
"The United States has no problem with tough words, but only when they are accurate and there is balance," he said.
The resolution "does not mention two hundred rockets launched this year alone. It does not mention the two Israeli children who were outside playing last week when a rocket suddenly crashed into their young bodies," he said.
"When the rest of the world gangs up on Israel with insidious silence about terrorism, it does not advance the cause of peace," Danforth said. "It encourages both sides to dig in. It makes Israel feel isolated and backed into a corner, and it discourages dialogue."
But Algerian Ambassador Abdalla Baali, the council's only Arab member, said the 15-nation body appeared to be effective only when it chastised Arab nations. He recalled the recent resolution telling Syrian troops to pull out of Lebanon.
"We regret that such a balanced and credible text that was merely calling upon Israel to end its military operation which causes so many human losses and so much damage has not gained unanimous endorsement by the council," Baali said.
Palestinian UN observer, Nasser al-Kidwa said some council members spoke only of Israeli deaths when in fact the Israeli army was trying to destroy "the entire Palestinian people - the destruction of its life and its future."
He said the Israel had an "official army committing war crimes and acts of state terrorism.
But Israel's UN ambassador, Dan Gillerman, blamed "the evil Palestinian leadership" for the crisis.