... US Vetoes Resolution
UNITED NATIONS — Ghana voted in favor of a U.N. Security Council draft resolution Saturday that sought to condemn an Israeli military offensive in the Gaza Strip and demand Israeli troops pull out of the territory. The resolution failed to pass because the United States vetoed it.

In the vote, four countries abstained — Britain, Denmark, Japan and Slovakia — and Ghana and 9 others - Argentina, China, Congo, France, Ghana, Greece, Peru, Russia, Qatar and Tanzania - were in favor.

The resolution, introduced by Qatar, the Arab representative on the council, had been amended during two days of negotiations to meet objections that it was not balanced. But U.S. Ambassador John Bolton said that it remained "in many places biased against Israel and politically motivated."

"This resolution does not display an evenhanded characterization of the recent events in Gaza, nor does it advance the cause of Israeli-Palestinian peace to which we aspire and for which we are working assiduously," he told the Security Council.

Jean-Marc de la Sabliere, the ambassador of France, said he felt that the final negotiated text was "a balanced one" and would have sent the right message to both Israel and the Palestinians.

The veto unleashed a flurry of criticism in the Middle East. The Arab League has criticised the United States for blocking a resolution.

Almost all of the 45 nations that spoke during a daylong debate on the Middle East on Thursday condemned Israel. Arab nations are now expected to move for a vote in the 192-member General Assembly, a path that they have followed in the past when such actions have failed to pass the Security Council.

Unlike Security Council resolutions, those passed in the General Assembly are nonbinding and largely symbolic. But they generally attract widespread support when Israel and, by extension, the United States are the targets.

It was the second U.S. veto this year of a resolution about Israeli operations in Gaza. The U.S. blocked action on a resolution this summer after Israel launched its offensive in response to the capture of an Israeli soldier by Palestinian militants. The U.S. is one of five permanent members of the council that have the power to veto resolutions.

Palestinians strengthened calls for Security Council action after an Israeli artillery barrage in the northern Gaza town of Beit Hanoun killed 19 people Wednesday.

Israel has expressed regret for the loss of life in Beit Hanoun but said it will continue operations to stop militants from launching rockets into Israel.