US vetoes UN resolution demanding a cease-fire in Gaza because there's no link to a hostage release

[AloeVera]

6. That goes without saying.

That's why the Biden Ceasefire Plan of May included the release of the hostages under a phased-in approach.

But the veto of this UN ceasefire resolution abandons that earlier approach. It says the release of hostages must be a pre-condition to a ceasefire. Which, to me, makes a ceasefire even more distant and impossible. It also sends the message that the hostages are more important than stopping the killing and starvation of Palestinians.

Which to some may be true, but ultimately it is self-defeating and absurd. The hostages are also being starved and killed.

I also think that having a strategy that has as its cornerstone a reliance on Hamas to do the "right" thing is not the best strategy if you want to achieve either of your stated goals vis a vis the Palestinians or the hostages.

But again, that's just me, the oddball out.