UN Security Council Demands Gaza Ceasefire : US Abstention Sparks Israeli Upset, Cancels Washington Visit

The United Nations Security Council demanded the resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire between Israel and Palestinian militants Hamas on Monday.

The vote saw the United States abstaining, which sparked a spat with its ally Israel, reported Reuters.

Gaza Ceasefire Demand by UN Security Council

The resolution, proposed by the 10 elected members of the Security Council, was supported by the remaining 14 council members. It also included a demand for the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages. Following the vote, there was applause in the council chamber.

U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres emphasized the importance of implementing the resolution, stating that failure to do so would be unforgivable. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu expressed disappointment with the US decision not to veto the resolution, referring to it as a "clear retreat" from its previous stance. Netanyahu believed that this would negatively impact Israel's war efforts and its attempts to secure the release of over 130 hostages held by Hamas, as reported Reuters.

US Abstention Sparks Israeli Upset, Cancels Visit

The White House spokesperson, John Kirby, clarified that the US abstention did not signify a shift in policy but reiterated that nothing had changed in the US stance. As a result of the U.N. vote, Netanyahu cancelled a high-level delegation's visit to Washington to discuss a planned Israeli military operation in Rafah, Gaza.

The US viewed Israel's decision to cancel the visit as an overreaction. The US had previously been reluctant to endorse the term "ceasefire" in the nearly six-month-old conflict in Gaza but chose to abstain this time due to mounting pressure and the looming threat of famine, as per Reuters report.

Hamas welcomed the Security Council resolution and expressed readiness to engage in immediate prisoner swaps. Lebanon's caretaker prime minister, Najib Mikati, urged countries to pressure Israel to cease its attacks on Lebanon. US Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield stated that the US fully supported some objectives in the resolution but disagreed with certain aspects, particularly the absence of condemnation for Hamas.

She stressed the importance of linking any ceasefire to the release of hostages. China's U.N. Ambassador Zhang Jun emphasized the binding nature of Security Council resolutions and expressed hope that the resolution would bring hope to the people of Gaza. Deputy U.N. spokesperson Farhan Haq affirmed that Security Council resolutions carry the weight of international law but acknowledged that further action was unlikely if a ceasefire was not achieved, as reported by Reuters.

The resolution also emphasized the urgent need to expand humanitarian assistance in Gaza and reiterated the demand for the lifting of barriers to aid provision. Guterres urged Israel to remove obstacles to aid delivery into Gaza and allow UNRWA convoys access to the northern enclave.

The situation in Gaza remains critical, with famine imminent and displaced Palestinians hoping for a ceasefire to end the bloodshed and destruction. The US has previously vetoed three draft resolutions on the Gaza conflict and abstained twice on resolutions aimed at providing aid and pausing fighting, as per media reports.

Russia and China have also vetoed US-drafted resolutions on the conflict. Palestinian U.N. envoy Riyad Mansour urged the Security Council to view the resolution as a turning point that could save lives on the ground.