(From left) US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield, Algeria's Ambassador to the UN Amar Bendjama and Chinese Ambassador to the UN Zhang Jun applaud during a United Nations Security Council meeting demanding an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, at the UN headquarters in New York on March 25, 2024. (Angela Weiss/AFP)(Photo: The Times of Israel)

On Monday, tensions between the United States and Israel came to light as the UN Security Council passed a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.

In a departure from their previous stance, the US chose to abstain from the vote, which led to Israels Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu canceling a planned trip to the US for two of his top advisers.

This decision marked a shift in the US position, as they had previously vetoed similar resolutions. Last week, the US proposed a ceasefire resolution that was tied to the release of hostages, but it was vetoed by Russia and China. By abstaining from Mondays vote, the US allowed the resolution to pass with the support of the other 14 council members.

The US Ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, explained that although the latest resolution incorporated some requested edits from the US, they could not vote in favor because they did not agree with everything. The latest resolution was able to pass due to the US abstention on Mondays vote, while the other 14 members of the 15-strong council voted in favor.

US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield explained that although the resolution incorporated edits requested by the US, Washington could not vote in favor because they did not agree with everything. The ambassador emphasized that a ceasefire could have been achieved months ago if Hamas had been willing to release hostages, and called on member states and the Security Council to demand that Hamas accepts the deal on the table. She further stated that any ceasefire must be accompanied by the release of all hostages.

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The resolution, proposed by the 10 non-permanent members of the Security Council, calls for an immediate ceasefire during the month of Ramadan, the unconditional release of hostages, and the urgent need to increase the flow of aid into Gaza. Israeli Foreign Minister Israel Katz declared that his country would not comply with the resolution, affirming that Israel will continue to fight until all hostages are returned home. The Biden administration chose to abstain from vetoing the UN Security Council resolution after working on modifying certain parts of the text.

Initially, the text demanded a permanent ceasefire without mentioning negotiations for hostage release. However, the US was successful in pushing for changes that included references to a lasting ceasefire and ongoing efforts to release hostages. This aligns with US policy and was supported by US Secretary of State Antony Blinken

Source Link 1: https://edition.cnn.com/2024/03/25/middleeast/un-security-council-gaza-israel-ceasefire-intl/index.html