Israel’s government has canceled a scheduled trip to Washington by top officials after the United States refrained from vetoing a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.
Voting on the resolution — which demanded a ceasefire during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan — took place at an emergency meeting of the Security Council on Monday.
On the same day, Israel said it carried out military operations at Al-Shifa hospital in northern Gaza and Al-Amal in the south. Health authorities in the enclave said 107 people had been killed in the last 24 hours, bringing the total to 32,333.
The US abstained from the UN Security Council vote, but the remaining 14 council members approved the proposal.
The Israeli prime minister’s office said in a statement that, “Regrettably, the United States did not veto the new resolution, which calls for a ceasefire that is not contingent on the release of hostages.” In response, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has canceled the Israeli delegation’s visit to the US, the statement said.
During the scheduled talks in Washington, Israeli officials and their US counterparts were set to discuss a Netanyahu-backed plan for ground operations in the southern Gaza city of Rafah.
Concerned about the safety of some 1.5 million people in the city, the US had intended to propose an alternative to the planned Israeli ground offensive.
SOURCE: NHK, Tuesday, March 26, 2024
