Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday canceled sending an Israeli delegation to Washington, D.C., that was scheduled to arrive this week after the U.S. abstained from voting on a United Nations Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.
“In light of the change in the American position, Prime Minister Netanyahu decided the delegation would not leave,” a statement from Netanyahu’s office said, adding that the failure to block the proposal was a “clear retreat” from its previous position.
The U.N. Security Council had earlier approved a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, the first time it has made such a demand since the war began.
Fourteen of 15 countries voted in favor of the ceasefire resolution, which called for a halt to fighting in Gaza for the month of Ramadan. The United States abstained from voting.
The Security Council had failed on Friday to adopt a similar resolution drafted by the United States, with Algeria, China and Russia voting against the measure.
Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, said Monday that she welcomed the “support of the ongoing diplomatic efforts led by the United States, Qatar, Egypt, to bring about an immediate and sustainable ceasefire, secure the immediate release of all hostages and help alleviate the tremendous suffering of Palestinian civilians in Gaza who are in dire need of protection and life-saving humanitarian assistance.”
“The United States fully supports these critical objectives,” she added. “In fact, they were the foundation of the resolution we put forward last week.”
At the White House, National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said that because the final text of the resolution approved Monday did not include language condemning Hamas, the United States did not vote in favor.
