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.
“Today’s resolution gives Hamas hope that international pressure will force Israel to accept a ceasefire without the release of our hostages, thus harming both the war effort and the effort to release the hostages.
“in light of the change in the US position,” Netanyahu’s office said in a statement.
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.
However, 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.
Following the vote, Netanyahu objected that the resolution did not make the call for a ceasefire conditional on the release of the hostages, as the US and Israel had both argued it should.
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Israel believes Hamas and its allies are still holding about 130 hostages in Gaza, including 33 presumed dead.
Israeli and US officials had been due to meet to discuss Israel’s planned offensive in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, where some 1.5 million Palestinians have sought shelter, having fled the fighting elsewhere in Gaza.
UN Security Council resolutions are widely considered to be legally binding on UN member states, although the US has said it does not consider Monday’s vote to be binding on Israel.
