Abstaining from the Gaza ceasefire resolution does not mean a change in US policy
| The White House National Security Council spokesman said that if the Israelis cancel their trip to America, Washington will continue to contact them, and that the vote against the cease-fire resolution does not mean a change in American policy. |
reported by Mehr News Agency quoted by Al Jazeera, “John Kirby”, strategic communications coordinator of the US National Security Council, said: “The United States’ abstention vote on the ceasefire resolution in the Gaza Strip does not mean a change in our policy.
Kirbi clarified: We did not vote in favor of the resolution and simply refrained from voting because the final version of the resolution does not include the condemnation of Hamas.
This senior White House official added: If the Israelis decide not to come to Washington due to the Security Council’s abstention, we will continue to communicate with them to express our views.
The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office announced that Benjamin Netanyahu canceled the trip of an Israeli delegation to Washington after the US abstained on the UN Security Council resolution that called for an immediate ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
Netanyahu’s office called this US position a clear deviation from the country’s consistent position in the Security Council since the beginning of the Gaza war.
The White House also announced that Israel’s decision to cancel sending a delegation to Washington to discuss the Rafah operation is “disappointing”.
This news comes while the Pentagon announced that the meeting of the US Defense Minister with his Israeli counterpart on Tuesday will still be held in the Pentagon and the visit of the Israeli War Minister is separate from the visit of the Israeli delegation to the White House.
