UN Demands Cease-fire in Gaza, Israel Upset With U.S. For Not Voting

The United Nations Security Council on Monday demanded a ceasefire in Gaza. The United States abstained from voting, causing tension between the U.S. and Israel.

This decision led Israel to cancel a planned visit to Washington, indicating a significant public disagreement between the two nations since the onset of the conflict.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticised the U.S. for not insisting that the ceasefire include a condition for the release of hostages held by Hamas. Netanyahu remarked that the U.S., its long-standing ally, has backed out from a “principled position” by allowing the Security Council’s vote on the issue to be passed without conditioning the ceasefire on the release of the hostages in Hamas custody.

The White House’s national security spokesperson, John Kirby, expressed confusion over Israel’s reaction. He explained that the U.S.’s vote abstention was because the resolution did not condemn Hamas.

The resolution passed with a 14-0 vote, demanded an end to hostilities and the release of all hostages but did not condition the ceasefire on these releases, particularly during the month of Ramadan.

Hamas responded positively to the U.N.’s decision, expressing “readiness” for an “immediate prisoner exchange process.”

The abstention by the U.S. comes amid growing tensions between the Biden administration and Netanyahu’s government over several issues, including the handling of the war, civilian casualties, and the broader Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

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