TheNewsGuru

Tag: U.S.

  • U.S. reacts to plan to establish military base in Nigeria

    U.S. reacts to plan to establish military base in Nigeria

    The United States government on Friday said that it was not planning the establishment of any military base in Nigeria.

    Maj.-Gen. Kenneth Ekman, U.S. Africa Command (AFRICOM), West Africa Coordination Element Lead, Department of Defence, made this known during a media roundtable with select journalists in Abuja.

    The roundtable was to enable Ekman explain the purpose of his visit to Nigeria.

    “Now, coming here and into the Nigerian context, I want to tell you upfront that there are no plans for a U.S. base here in Nigeria.

    “I want to address that with you because I think that is a popular concern.

    “I recognise that the presence of U.S. forces comes with costs and benefits, depending on the context.

    “I’m here to talk about how regional security problems affect Nigeria.

    “This is because Nigeria has such a capable military, and is such a dominant leader in West Africa,” he said.

    Ekman emphasised that no discussions were held between Nigeria and the U.S. over the establishment of a military base as was speculated after the announcement of their withdrawal from Niger.

    “I am not aware of any discussions between U.S. and Nigerian authorities on placing a U.S. base in Nigeria as a result of the Niger withdrawal.

    “I want to be perfectly clear on that and I’m not surprised that some people assumed that there were discussions going on about this,” he said.

    He explained that AFRICOM and the Department of Defence had been supporting the three main objectives of democracy, government, and human rights in Africa.

    According to him, the support also includes mutually beneficial trade and investment, human capital development, and working with authorities on security, stability, and prosperity.

    “While our objectives haven’t changed, that is, the shared objectives between the United States and our African partners, they have become harder to achieve.

    “The U.S. AFRICOM, as we function here in West Africa, we do nothing by ourselves. Everything that we do is through partner-led, U.S.-enabled operations.

    “So we don’t do it for our partners. We help them do it and do it better.

    “It’s about exercises, it’s about training, it’s about grant security assistance.

    “And then all of this builds on a strong foundation of security cooperation,” he said.

    David Greene, US chargé d’affaires in Nigeria, had also in May said no plans to set up any base in the country.

    “I am not aware of any such conversation, and I am not really sure whose purpose it serves to agitate on this point.

    “We will continue our very strong security cooperation with the Nigerian security services, the Nigerian military, and the Nigerian government, and that will always be in a spirit of partnership and respect for each other.”

    Similarly, Minister of Information and National Orientation Idris Mohammed, has refuted allegations of any plans for a U.S. military base in Nigeria.

    “The federal government is not in any such discussion with any foreign country. We have neither received nor are we considering any proposals from any country on the establishment of any foreign military base in Nigeria.

    “The Nigerian government already enjoys foreign cooperation in tackling ongoing security challenges, and the President remains committed to deepening these partnerships, with the goal of achieving the national security objectives of the Renewed Hope Agenda,” Idris said in a statement.

    NAN

  • See list of US presidential assassination attempts

    See list of US presidential assassination attempts

    Former U.S. President Donald Trump was on Saturday shot at while giving a speech during a campaign rally in Butler, Pennsylvania.

    TheNewsGuru.com (TNG) reports the shooting resulted in the death of one person while two others were injured.

    This adds to the list of presidential assassination attempts in the United States.

    In 1865, Abraham Lincoln was assassinated, in 1881, James A. Garfield was assassinated, in 1901, William McKinley was assassinated, while in 1963, John F. Kennedy was assassinated.

    Lincoln, the 16th president of the United States from 1861 was assassinated on April 14, 1865. He was shot by John Wilkes Booth while attending the play Our American Cousin at Ford’s Theatre in Washington, D.C.

    Shot in the head as he watched the play, Lincoln died of his wounds the following day at 7:22 am in the Petersen House opposite the theatre. He was the first U.S. president to be assassinated. His funeral and burial were marked by an extended period of national mourning.

    Meanwhile, Garfield, the 20th president of the United States, was shot at the Baltimore and Potomac Railroad Station in Washington, D.C., at 9:30 am on Saturday, July 2, 1881.

    He died in Elberon, New Jersey, two and a half months later on September 19, 1881. The shooting occurred less than four months into the term of Garfield as US president.

    Charles J. Guiteau was convicted of Garfield’s murder and executed by hanging one year after the shooting.

    McKinley, who was assassinated in 1901, was the 25th president of the United States. He was shot on the grounds of the Pan-American Exposition in the Temple of Music in Buffalo, New York, on September 6, 1901, six months into his second term.

    He was shaking hands with the public when an anarchist, Leon Czolgosz, shot him twice in the abdomen. McKinley died on September 14 of gangrene caused by the wounds. He was the third American president to be assassinated.

    In 1963, John F. Kennedy, the 35th president of the United States, was assassinated. He was shot and killed in Dallas, Texas on November 22, 1963. This happened while he was riding in the presidential motorcade through Dealey Plaza with his wife Jackie, Texas Governor John Connally and Connally’s wife Nellie.

    As the car drove into Dealey Plaza, shots were fired. Kennedy was shot once in the throat, and once in the head. The motorcade drove to Parkland Memorial Hospital, where Kennedy was pronounced dead. Lee Harvey Oswald was the main suspect in the murder.

    Meanwhile, in 1912, Theodore Roosevelt, like Trump, was wounded while campaigning for re-election. Former President Roosevelt was campaigning for the presidency in Milwaukee, Wisconsin.

    Roosevelt was shot on October 14 by John Schrank. The bullet lodged in Roosevelt’s chest after penetrating his steel eyeglass case and passing through a 50 page thick (single-folded) copy of his speech titled “Progressive Cause Greater Than Any Individual”, which he was carrying in his jacket pocket.

    Roosevelt declined suggestions to go to the hospital immediately and instead delivered his scheduled speech. His opening comments to the gathered crowd were, “Friends, I shall ask you to be as quiet as possible. I don’t know whether you fully understand that I have just been shot—but it takes more than that to kill a Bull Moose”.

    Afterwards, probes and an x-ray showed that the bullet had lodged in Roosevelt’s chest muscle, but did not penetrate the pleura. Since doctors concluded that it would be less dangerous to leave it in place than to attempt to remove it, Roosevelt carried the bullet with him for the rest of his life.

    Roosevelt had become President following McKinley’s own assassination where the bullet wound turned gangrenous.

    The shooter, John Schrank, initially pleaded guilty to the charge of attempted murder, but the trial Judge, unconvinced of Schrank’s sanity, declined his plea and the case was brought to trial.

    Schrank was found not guilty by reason of insanity by the jury and was committed to indefinite institutionalization.

    On March 30, 1981, Reagan was shot and wounded by John Hinckley Jr. in Washington, D.C., as he was returning to his limousine after a speaking engagement at the Washington Hilton.

    Reagan was seriously wounded by a revolver bullet that ricocheted off the side of the presidential limousine and hit him in the left underarm, breaking a rib, puncturing a lung, and causing serious internal bleeding.

    He was close to death upon arrival at George Washington University Hospital but was stabilized in the emergency room; he then underwent emergency exploratory surgery. He recovered and was released from the hospital on April 11.

    Hinckley was found not guilty by reason of insanity on charges of attempting to assassinate the president. He remained confined to St. Elizabeth’s Hospital, a D.C. psychiatric facility. Hinckley was released from institutional psychiatric care on September 10, 2016.

    All the presidential assassinations in the US, except that of John F. Kennedy were directed against the Republicans.

    The assassination attempt on Trump comes 43 years since the attempt on Reagan in 1981.

  • Nigeria pledges to deepen bilateral relations with U.S.

    Nigeria pledges to deepen bilateral relations with U.S.

    Minister of Foreign Affairs, Amb.Yusuf Tuggar, says Nigeria is working to deepen bilateral relations with the U.S. in accordance with Nigeria’s foreign policy thrust under President Bola Tinubu.

    Tuggar stated this at the 248th U.S. independence anniversary dinner organised by the U.S. Embassy in Abuja on Tuesday.

    The minister said deepening Nigeria-U.S. ties would further cement their many years of cooperation and friendship.

    He noted that the signing of the Nigeria-U.S. Binational Cooperation is one of the major foreign policy objectives of the Tinubu administration.

    Tuggar, represented by Amb. Janet Olisa, Director of Regions, Ministry of Foreign Affairs, said that Nigeria-U.S. bilateral relations “has been nurtured over the years” with various cooperations that have strengthened the ties.

    “Since our independence, we have been two nations that have continued to watch our friendship, bond, and cooperation closely.

    “One of the major developments that happened this year was the Nigeria-U.S. Binational Cooperation agreement, and it is a testament of how important and cordial our relationship is.

    “The Secretary of State just left Nigeria not too long ago. And to ensure that we had a smooth running, the Deputy Secretary of State, who had just been confirmed, hurried to Nigeria to ensure that we had a very successful Binational,” Tuggar said.

    The minister said both countries were working on a few other agreements and cooperations toward strengthening them.

    “We are also looking into security, which is significant to Africa as a continent, particularly Nigeria.

    “We are looking at strengthening the security bond between us; we are thankful for all the security cooperation that we are receiving,” he said.

    Tuggar also expressed Nigeria’s gratitude to the U.S. for the various interventions in the country’s health sector challenges.

    “We are also grateful that in the Ministry of Health, we’ve been able to get some collaborations  in all the HIV/AIDS programmes.

    “That is the bond of friendship, as we welcome the incoming ambassador, Richard Mills. We know he’s going to have a wonderful time here.

    “I must say that we Nigerians are a people that have always understood the importance of nationhood.

    “Nationhood is key to us and for that our security cannot be taken for granted. So I wish you all a very fruitful celebration and we join you to say Happy Independence,” the minister added.

    Speaking earlier, Amb.Mills, said that both countries are two proud federal republics that share a commitment to democracy and freedom.

    He added that they both share the belief expressed in the U.S. Declaration of Independence 248 years ago.

    According to him, every Nigerian and U.S. citizen shares in the right to life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.

    “As I settle into Abuja and into my role as the 22nd U.S. Ambassador to Nigeria, I look forward to meeting many of you and working together to strengthen our ties,” he said.

    Also speaking, Amb. David Greene, U.S. Embassy’s Deputy Head of Mission and Charge d’Affairs, described Nigeria-U.S. relations as a “whirlwind in the best way.”

    The U.S. envoy disclosed that there are 700,000 Nigerians living and working in the U.S., saying it underscores the significance of the U.S.-Nigeria people-to-people ties, which is the bedrock of the relationship.

    “Our bond has always been strong. But lately it feels like we’re really sprinting forward together to make Nigerians and Americans more secure, healthier, and more prosperous,” he said.

    The event was attended by senior government officials, members of the diplomatic corps, representatives from the business, political, religious, media, and civil society sectors.

  • Trump immune from prosecution for official acts – U.S. Supreme Court

    Trump immune from prosecution for official acts – U.S. Supreme Court

    The U.S. Supreme Court said on Monday that former U.S. President Donald Trump can claim immunity from prosecution on election subversion charges as it relates to official acts as president.

    The U.S. apex court said this even though he could still face prosecution for unofficial acts.

    “Held: Under our constitutional structure of separated powers, the nature of Presidential power entitles a former President to absolute immunity from criminal prosecution for actions within his conclusive and preclusive constitutional authority.

    “He is entitled to at least presumptive immunity from prosecution for all his official acts.

    “There is no immunity for unofficial acts,” the Supreme Court said in a ruling.

    Lower courts denied Trump’s motion to dismiss the election subversion indictment against him based on claims of presidential immunity and declined to decide on whether the indicted conduct involved official acts.

    Certain allegations in the case against Trump are readily categorised while others present “more difficult questions,” the ruling said.

  • U.S. Supreme Court upholds federal domestic-violence gun ban

    U.S. Supreme Court upholds federal domestic-violence gun ban

    The U.S. Supreme Court on Friday upheld a federal law that makes it a crime for people under domestic violence restraining orders to have guns.

    The ruling handed victory to President Joe Biden’s administration as the justices opted not to further widen firearms rights after a major expansion in 2022.

    The 8-1 ruling, authored by conservative Chief Justice John Roberts, overturned a lower court’s decision striking down the 1994 law as a violation of the U.S. Constitution’s Second Amendment right to “keep and bear arms.”

    The law was challenged by a Texas man who was subject to a restraining order for assaulting his girlfriend in a parking lot and later threatening to shoot her.

    The New Orleans-based 5th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals had concluded that the measure failed the Supreme Court’s stringent test set in 2022 that required gun laws to be “consistent with the nation’s historical tradition of firearm regulation” to comply with the Second Amendment.

    Roberts wrote in the ruling that since the nation’s founding, firearm laws have targeted people who threaten physical harm to others.

    “When a restraining order contains a finding that an individual poses a credible threat to the physical safety of an intimate partner, that individual may – consistent with the Second Amendment – be banned from possessing firearms while the order is in effect,” Roberts wrote.

    Biden’s administration defended the law as critical to protect public safety and abuse victims, who often are women.

    It emphasised that guns pose a particularly serious threat in domestic violence situations and also are extremely dangerous to police officers called to respond.

    “No one who has been abused should have to worry about their abuser getting a gun,” Biden said, touting his record on gun control.

    “As a result of (Friday’s) ruling, survivors of domestic violence and their families will still be able to count on critical protections, just as they have for the past three decades.”
    Conservative Justice Clarence Thomas, who authored the 2022 ruling in a case called New York State Rifle and Pistol Association v. Bruen, was the lone dissenter.

    “Not a single historical regulation justifies the statute at issue,” Thomas wrote.

    He added that “in the interest of ensuring the government can regulate one subset of society, (Friday’s) decision puts at risk the Second Amendment rights of many more.”

    The case involved Zackey Rahimi, who pleaded guilty in 2021 to illegally possessing guns in violation of this law while subject to a restraining order.

    Police found a pistol and rifle while searching Rahimi’s residence in connection with at least five shootings, including using an assault-type rifle to fire at the home of a man to whom he had sold drugs.

    A federal judge had rejected Rahimi’s Second Amendment challenge and sentenced him to more than six years in prison. Violating the domestic violence gun law initially was punishable by up to 10 years in prison but has since been raised to 15 years.

    Gun safety groups called Friday’s ruling a legal victory that will help counter firearms violence. But they condemned actions by the 5th Circuit, perhaps the most conservative federal appeals court, that let the case get this far.

    “As millions of domestic violence victims breathe a sigh of relief, it’s worth remembering who put them in jeopardy: extreme Trump-appointed judges on the 5th Circuit who sided with an abuser who wanted to keep his guns,” said John Feinblatt, president of Everytown for Gun Safety, referring to Republican former President Donald Trump.

    Rahimi’s lawyer declined to comment on the ruling.

    In a May Reuters/Ipsos poll, 75 per cent of registered voters, including 84 per cent of Democrats and 70 per cent of Republicans, said that a person subject to a domestic violence restraining order should not be allowed to possess firearms.

    In a nation bitterly divided over how to address firearms violence including frequent mass shootings, the Supreme Court often has taken an expansive view of the Second Amendment, broadening gun rights in landmark rulings in 2008, 2010, and 2022.

    The 2022 Bruen ruling recognized a constitutional right to carry a handgun in public for self-defense, striking down a New York state’s limits on carrying concealed handguns outside the home.
    In another case, the Supreme Court in a 6-3 ruling on June 14 declared unlawful a federal ban on “bump stock” that enable semiautomatic weapons to fire rapidly like machine guns.

    The 5th Circuit last year set aside Rahimi’s conviction, concluding that although he was “hardly a model citizen,” the 1994 law was an “outlier” that could not stand under the “historical tradition” standard the justices announced in Bruen.

    Supporters of Rahimi have argued that judges too easily issue restraining orders in an unfair process that results in the deprivation of the constitutional gun rights of accused abusers.

  • Russian court sentences U.S. soldier to jail

    Russian court sentences U.S. soldier to jail

    A U.S. soldier detained in Russia in early May has been sentenced to three years and nine months in prison by a court in Vladivostok for theft and death threats.

    According to local media reports on Wednesday, the court found that the man had stolen 10,000 rubles (120 U.S. dollars) from his girlfriend and threatened her.

    The defence had demanded an acquittal.

    The court’s sentence fell short of the four years and eight months in prison sought by the prosecution.

    The U.S. soldier had been detained in Pacific port city of Vladivostok.

    According to the U.S. Army, the soldier had completed his service in South Korea on April 10.

    Instead of returning to the mainland United States, he travelled to Vladivostok via China “for personal reasons.”

    The soldier had not sought official permission for his trip from the Department of Defense, the U.S. authorities said.

    He had joined the army in 2008 and had served in Iraq and Afghanistan.

    Local media reported that the man had wanted to visit a woman in Russia with whom he allegedly had a romantic relationship.

    During an argument, he reportedly grabbed his girlfriend by the throat, which she perceived as life-threatening.

    He also stole money from her, the report said.

    The detention of U.S. citizens in Russia often leads to complicated negotiations between Moscow and Washington over a release or exchange.

    According to the Kremlin, negotiations are ongoing regarding the detained Wall Street Journal correspondent Evan Gershkovich.

    His trial is set to begin on June 26 behind closed doors.

    Since late 2018, former U.S. soldier Paul Whelan has also been held in Russian custody after being convicted of espionage.

  • Biden says U.S. will begin sending weapons to Ukraine

    Biden says U.S. will begin sending weapons to Ukraine

    U.S. President Joe Biden wants to start delivering weapons and equipment to Ukraine this week.

    The president said this shortly after the U.S. Senate approved billions of dollars in new aid for the country under attack from Russia.

    “I will sign this bill into law and address the American people as soon as it reaches my desk tomorrow so we can begin sending weapons and equipment to Ukraine this week,” Biden said.

    By passing the legislative package, which also includes billions of dollars in aid for Israel and Taiwan, the U.S. Congress has demonstrated the power of American leadership in the world, Biden added.

    “We stand resolutely for democracy and freedom, and against tyranny and oppression.”

    There is an urgent need for support for Ukraine, which is being subjected to relentless bombardment from Russia, Biden said.

    The bill also contains aid for Israel, which has recently faced unprecedented attacks from Iran.

    “This critical legislation will make our nation and world more secure as we support our friends who are defending themselves against terrorists like Hamas and tyrants like Putin,” Biden said.

  • U.S. govt announces three new initiatives for Nigeria’s creative sector

    U.S. govt announces three new initiatives for Nigeria’s creative sector

    The U.S. government, on Wednesday announced three new opportunities for Nigerians in the creative economy sector.

    Ms. Lee Satterfield, U.S. Assistant Secretary of State for the Bureau of Educational and Cultural Affairs made the announcement while delivering a foreign policy speech at the University of Lagos.

    She is currently in Nigeria on an official visit till March 22.

    Satterfield, in her remarks, underscored the Biden-Harris Administration’s commitment to deepening educational and cultural ties between Nigeria and the U.S..

    “Today, I want to announce the launch of the Africa Creative TV(ACTV) initiative.

    “It’s a new professional development programme that will focus on TV writers, producers and just below the line professionals to create this industry and grow even stronger the collaboration between our two countries.

    “ACTV is in a partnership with the University of Southern California’s School of Cinematic Arts, and it was created out of the summit for African leaders that President Joe Biden hosted in Washington DC in 2022.”

    Satterfield said ACTV would focus on professional development and network building between television writers, producers and those in the technical fields including art direction, cinematography, editing, in line producing among others.

    She said the second programme being launched was the American Music Mentorship programme, a partnership between the U.S. and the Recording Academy, The Grammys.

    According to her, with the Recording Academy, the U.S. State Department was creating a mentorship opportunity to bring international and mid-career music industry professionals to the U.S. for mentoring and networking opportunities.

    This, she said was with an aim to cultivate the music industry ecosystem leveraging the networks of the Recording Academy to grant aids for professional programmes.

    The Assistant Secretary also said she was happy to unlock an educational initiative, adding that the U.S. was opening a programme for the creative economy through script to screen process.

    “We’re going to select four Nigerian filmmaking students to come for a year in a community college in the United States.

    “Film, Television and Music Industries continue to evolve at unprecedented pace and we’re seeing an evermore interconnected world.

    “US high tech giants like Google, Meta, Microsoft are heavily investing in Nigeria, supporting development of local tech talent and promoting inclusive economic growth and development.”

    According to Satterfield, for over 75 years the U.S. has connected with people through culture, sharing its struggles and successes with the world through movies and music and the country.

    This same phenomenon, she said, was currently being seen with Nollywood and Afrobeats.

    She said that the U.S. government was supporting Nigeria’s creative industries because they offered economic opportunities for millions of people from Hollywood to Nollywood.

    “The heart of our relationship is our people,” Satterfield noted.

    Prof. Folasade Ogunsola, Vice Chancellor, University of Lagos said for over five decades, the institution had supported people and scholars from various U.S. programmes and activities.

    She noted that there were currently 38 Fulbright scholars in the university of Lagos, adding that the institution was one of top universities for hosting scholars from the U.S.

    “As an academic institution, we’re focused on ensuring that we continue to have cross-fertilisation between scholars from all around the world and particularly the U.S.

    “The University of Lagos is going to play host to a window on America and we are looking forward to that, which will be another way of cultural exchange,” Ogunsola said.

  • TikTok boss slams U.S. over bill to ban app

    TikTok boss slams U.S. over bill to ban app

    The chief executive of Chinese social media platform TikTok, Shou Chew, has vowed to fight back against a U.S. law that aimed to force a change in ownership.

    The company  will do everything possible and use legal means to defend the platform, Shou said in a video published on Thursday.

    The House of Representatives in Washington had  earlier on Wednesday  passed a bill that could ban the popular video-sharing app, owned by China-based ByteDance. The law now goes to the Senate, where its fate is unclear.

    Lawmakers who support the bill, however, note that it does not outright ban TikTok.

    Instead, it aims to force a change in ownership. The law would only lead to TikTok being banned from U.S. app stores if the service remains in the possession of China’s ByteDance group.

    In Washington, there have been fears for years about ByteDance’s access to user data.

    Some cyber security experts say the data could be used by Beijing to spread propaganda in the United States, spy on users, and exercise other forms of influence.

    Shou said that the law would give a small number of social media companies greater influence.

    The TikTok boss also claimed that the bill would jeopardise 300,000 jobs in the US.

    TikTok has also repeatedly stressed that small businesses use the service for advertising.

    TikTok says it has 170 million U.S. users.

    During his time in office as president, Donald Trump attempted to ban TikTok from app stores and compel ByteDance to spin off TikTok. But the effort was stymied by the courts.

  • U.S. vetoes UN resolution calling for ceasefire in Gaza

    U.S. vetoes UN resolution calling for ceasefire in Gaza

    A draft resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip failed in the UN Security Council on Tuesday after the U.S. again vetoed the text tabled by Council member Algeria.

    Given concerns about a possible major Israeli offensive on the crowded city of Rafah in southern Gaza, the proposal was widely supported by 13 of the 15 council members. Britain abstained.

    Following the vote, Israel again strongly rejected calls for a truce.

    This “absurd notion of a ceasefire” was constantly being thrown around within the Security Council and the UN General Assembly as if it was “a silver bullet, a magical solution to all of the region’s problems,” Israel’s ambassador to the United Nations, Gilad Erdan, told the most powerful UN body.

    “A ceasefire today means immunity for baby killers and rapists. It’s an easy way to make this problem an issue for another day,” he said.

    “Hamas is not going to even read your resolutions.”

    Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu also reiterated that his country was determined not to be deterred by criticism of how it was handling the war in the Gaza Strip.

    “There is considerable pressure on Israel at home and abroad to stop the war before we achieve all of its goals,” Netanyahu said during a visit to troops near the border with Gaza on Tuesday.

    “There is no pressure, none, that can change this – we are not prepared to pay any price, certainly not the delusional prices that Hamas is demanding of us.”

    US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield had declared ahead of time that the U.S. would once again use its veto power in the Security Council should a vote be held.

    The five permanent members of the most powerful UN body, the U.S., China, Russia, France, and Britain, all have the power to do so.

    The U.S. said it wanted to prevent a vote in order not to jeopardise important negotiations between Israel and the Palestinian extremist organisation Hamas, which along with other Islamist groups attacked Israel on Oct. 7 and killed over 1,200 people.

    “We believe that the resolution on the table right now would, in fact, negatively impact those negotiations.

    “Instead, it could extend the fighting between Hamas and Israel,” Thomas-Greenfield said before the vote in reference to talks mainly about freeing hostages.

    “Sometimes hard diplomacy takes more time than any of us might like. Believe me, I understand the desire for the Council to act urgently to positively shape the situation in line with the Security Council’s mandate.”

    The veto was seen by observers as a complicated ploy by Washington as it does not want to be seen as an enabler of the Jewish state’s war tactics, which have increasingly come in for international criticism as the Gaza Health Authority figures confirm 29,195 Palestinians have been killed during the Israeli military campaign in Gaza so far.

    In recent months, the U.S. has already used three vetoes to protect Israel from Security Council resolutions.

    Security Council resolutions are binding under international law.

    If countries defy them, the Council can impose sanctions and, in extreme cases, even consider military intervention – but this highly unlikely in the case of Israel.

    According to a high-ranking Security Council representative, the negotiations this time on the veto became much more emotional behind closed doors.

    The U.S. would have to “take responsibility for everything that happens afterwards,” added the official, who asked to remain anonymous.

    “If Rafah happens, there is no going back.”

    Around 1.5 million Gazans are crowded into Rafah, the southernmost city that sits on the border with Egypt.

    The Israeli government has been preparing to launch a full-scale ground offensive into the city despite international fears it will lead to massive civilian casualties.

    Israel says the operation is necessary to eliminate remaining Hamas fighters that are sheltering there as well as to free hostages that were abducted from Israel on Oct. 7.

    Israeli war Cabinet Minister Benny Gantz on Sunday said that “The world must know, and Hamas leaders must know – if by Ramadan our hostages are not home, the fighting will continue to the Rafah area.”

    However, it is uncertain whether international mediators will be able to negotiate a ceasefire and the release of hostages by the start of the Muslim fasting month on March 10.