Israel cancels Washington meeting after UN Gaza ceasefire vote

BBC News:

Israel has cancelled a meeting in Washington after the US declined to veto a UN Security Council resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza.

The resolution, which also called for the release of all hostages, followed several failed attempts at similar measures since the 7 October attacks.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu accused the US of having “abandoned” its previous policy.

Meanwhile intense fighting rages between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.

The UN Security Council’s first resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire came after calls for urgent action to avert a famine in Gaza.

Since the start of the conflict, the US has used its veto power to block three Security Council resolutions calling for pauses in the fighting or a ceasefire. Another two have been vetoed by both Russia and China.

On Monday, the US abstained on a resolution that called for an “immediate” ceasefire for the rest of the month of Ramadan – two weeks – and the “immediate and unconditional release of all hostages”.

The 14 other members of the council, including the UK, voted in favour, meaning the resolution passed.

While Washington has taken an increasingly tougher stance on Israel it insisted its abstention did not mark a shift in policy.

But Mr Netanyahu said the UN resolution did not make the demand for a ceasefire conditional on the release of the hostages, as the US and Israel had both argued it should.