U.S. vetoes U.N. Security Council resolution on Gaza; State Department notes recovery of two Americans' remains and addresses West Bank unrest

The United States vetoed a United Nations Security Council resolution on Gaza that, the State Department said, "created a false equivalency between a sovereign nation and a terrorist group," Principal Deputy Spokesperson Tommy Pigott told reporters at a State Department briefing. Pigott said the U.S. "will not support any resolution that fails to demand Hamas disarm, leave Gaza, and release all hostages, including the remains of 2 murdered Americans."

Pigott said Israeli forces recovered the remains of Judy Weinstein and Gad Hagai. "Their fate remained a mystery for months. Even after the worst was confirmed, their families were denied the dignity of a proper burial for more than 600 days," he said, adding that the United States will continue to press for the release of all hostages.

Why it matters: The veto is a formal U.S. decision at the U.N. Security Council and reflects the administration's stated approach to linking diplomatic action to demands against Hamas. The recovery of remains highlights ongoing U.S. concern for American hostages and family members affected by the Oct. 7 attacks.

Reporters pressed Pigott about rising settler violence and broader conditions in the West Bank. He said certain functions have been consolidated under the U.S. embassy in Jerusalem under Ambassador Huckabee and declined to provide additional specifics from the podium. "That's the most I can say on that here," Pigott said when asked where Palestinians should go to raise grievances.

On a separate question about an Israeli government acknowledgment that the Israeli security establishment had provided weaponry to a group rivaling Hamas, Pigott said only that he had "nothing to preview on that" and would "take back the specifics" to see whether the department could offer further comment.

Discussion versus action: Pigott's remarks described U.S. diplomatic positions and reporting of recovered remains; he did not announce new policy changes or unilateral actions from the department during the briefing.

Ending: Pigott closed the segment by reiterating the United States' stated objectives of supporting Israel's security while seeking a cessation of hostilities and the release of hostages. He declined to provide additional operational details from the podium and said further information would be pursued through internal follow-ups where appropriate.