The United States on Friday abstained from a vote on a United Nations
Security Council resolution in support of an indefinite pause in
fighting to allow the flow of humanitarian aid to Gaza. The vote came
after a series of delays, with Washington — Israel’s stalwart ally —
negotiating language that it would not feel compelled to veto. Over a
quarter of the Gazan population face “catastrophic hunger and
starvation,” according to a recent report.