President Joe Biden's administration crossed a red line set by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Monday.
The United States abstained on Monday from a United Nations (U.N.) resolution that demanded a ceasefire of the conflict between Israel and Hamas in Gaza, as well as the release of all hostages taken captive by the Palestinian militant group amid pressure from Israel to veto the resolution, the Associated Press reported.
With the U.S. taking an "abstain" vote, the U.N. Security Council passed the ceasefire resolution, the international body's first call to end the monthslong conflict. It comes as relations between the U.S. and Israel, long viewed as close allies, have grown tense amid Biden's concerns about humanitarian conditions in Gaza.
Netanyahu earlier on Monday issued an ultimatum to the Biden administration about the resolution, warning that he would call off the visit of Israeli delegates to Washington D.C. if the U.S. did not veto the resolution, reported The Times of Israel.
National security adviser Tzachi Hanegbi and Strategic Affairs Minister Ron Dermer were set to travel to the U.S. to hear ideas about how to expand humanitarian aid in Gaza, according to the Israeli newspaper.
However, Netanyahu's office called off that trip following the vote, calling it a "clear retreat from the consistent US position in the Security Council since the beginning of the war" that "gives Hamas hope that international pressure will allow them to get a ceasefire without releasing our hostages," according to the report.
Newsweek reached out to the White House and Israel's Foreign Affairs Ministry for comment via email.
On October 7, 2023, Hamas militants launched an attack on Israel, resulting in 1,200 Israeli casualties and more than 250 hostages being taken. Israel says more than 100 hostages are still in captivity and has since launched a ground invasion it says is intended to target Hamas leaders and force them to return the hostages. Meanwhile, more than 30,000 Palestinians have been killed in Gaza.
Biden has cast himself as a key ally to Israel, arguing it has a right to defend itself and go after Hamas, but has also raised concerns about the civilian death toll in Gaza.
The president has not gone as far as other world leaders to push for a permanent ceasefire, but has still found himself at odds with Netanyahu as he urges a more cautious response. Biden also faces pressure at home from some Democrats over concerns about humanitarian conditions for Palestinians ahead of the November presidential election.
Monday's vote comes after Biden and Netanyahu disagreed about whether Israel should launch an offensive in Rafah, a city on the Egyptian border where more than 1 million displaced Palestinians have taken refuge since the start of the war after being instructed to move south by Israel.
Netanyahu said last week he made it "supremely clear" to Biden "that we are determined to complete the elimination of these battalions in Rafah, and there's no way to do that except by going in on the ground," according to a report from Reuters.
Biden's national security adviser Jake Sullivan said last week that a "major ground operation" of Rafah would be a "mistake" after Biden and Netanyahu spoke over the phone last week.
Uncommon Knowledge
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
Newsweek is committed to challenging conventional wisdom and finding connections in the search for common ground.
fairness meter
To Rate This Article
About the writer
Andrew Stanton is a Newsweek weekend reporter based in Maine. His role is reporting on U.S. politics and social issues. ... Read more
To read how Newsweek uses AI as a newsroom tool, Click here.
