Israel cancels Washington visit after US allows UN Security Council to pass resolution demanding a ceasefire in Gaza

Middle East 26 March, 2024 10:37

Israel canceled a visit to Washington by a senior delegation to discuss Israel’s threatened offensive in the southern Gaza city of Rafah after the U.S. abstained in a Security Council vote and allowed the Council to pass a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, CNN reports.

The US had previously vetoed similar resolutions calling for a ceasefire. The US abstention on Monday’s vote allowed the latest resolution to pass, when the other 14 members of the 15-strong council voted yes.

The resolution, put forward by the 10 non-permanent members of the Security Council, demands an immediate ceasefire for the month of Ramadan, the immediate and unconditional release of hostages and “the urgent need to expand the flow” of aid into Gaza, CNN adds.

Both Hamas and the Palestinian authority welcomed the resolution, while Israeli Ambassador to the United Nations Gilad Erdan criticized the Security Council for passing a measure that called for a ceasefire “without conditioning it on the release of the hostages.” Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz said on X his country will not abide by the resolution, “will destroy Hamas and continue to fight until the last of the hostages returns home.”

The UN vote on Monday came as tensions grow over a looming Israeli military operation in Gaza’s southern city of Rafah. The US has been calling on Israel to explain how it will protect the 1.4 million Palestinians seeking refuge there, the report adds.

Israel’s national security adviser Tzachi Hanegbi and Ron Dermer, a member of the war cabinet and close adviser to Netanyahu, had been scheduled to travel to Washington on Monday night to discuss the offensive and US alternatives.

US National Security spokesman John Kirby said Washington was disappointed by the decision to cancel the trip.

Separately, Israel agreed to a US proposal on a prisoner-hostage deal, according to CNN analyst Barak Ravid’s reporting on the recent round of talks in Doha. The reported deal could see the release of around 700 Palestinian prisoners in exchange for the release of 40 Israeli hostages held by Hamas in Gaza.