Israel canceled a diplomatic visit by its senior advisers to Washington, DC, yesterday after the UN Security Council passed a resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza and the unconditional release of all hostages. The approval comes after four previous attempts failed.
The US, one of 15 council members, abstained from voting, while the rest of the council (see overview) voted in favor of the legally binding resolution. The resolution calls for a halt in fighting for the remainder of Ramadan, the Islamic holy month of fasting, which ends in roughly two weeks. The US said it abstained because the resolution didn't condemn Hamas. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticized the US for not vetoing the resolution, saying the language used didn't explicitly tie the cease-fire to the release of the hostages.
An Israeli delegation was previously set to meet the Biden administration today for talks on Israel's imminent ground operation in Rafah, where an estimated 1 million Palestinians are sheltering. The Biden administration still plans to raise its concerns with Israel's defense minister, who is in Washington this week on a separate trip.
See updates on the war here.
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