Israel calls out ally US for not vetoing UN's Gaza ceasefire resolution

31-Mar-2024

After the vote, Israel lashed out at the US, saying "The United States has abandoned its policy in the UN today."

The United Nations Security Council on Monday called for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, a first since the start of the Israel-Hamas war in October last year. Israel's main ally, the United States, abstained in the vote.

After the vote, Israel lashed out at the US, saying "The United States has abandoned its policy in the UN today."

In a statement, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said, "Just a few days ago, it (the US) supported a Security Council resolution that linked a call for a ceasefire to the release of hostages.China and Russia vetoed that resolution partly because they opposed a ceasefire that was linked to the release of hostages. Yet today, Russia and China joined Algeria and others in supporting the new resolution precisely because it had no such linkage. Regrettably, the United States did not veto the new resolution, which calls for a ceasefire that is not contingent on the release of hostages."

Israel termed US abstaining from voting as a "clear departure from the consistent US position in the Security Council since the beginning of the war."

"Today’s resolution gives Hamas hope that international pressure will force Israel to accept a ceasefire without the release of our hostages, thus harming both the war effort and the effort to release the hostages," Israel said.

Benjamin Netanyahu added that he would not now follow through on plans to send an Israeli delegation to Washington to discuss a planned Israeli military operation in the southern Gaza city of Rafah.