Prime Minister Netanyahu commented on the deliberations in the UN Security Council regarding the call for a ceasefire in Gaza.
‘’If the USA does not veto the resolution, which calls for a ceasefire that is not dependent on the release of the hostages, I will cancel the Israeli delegation's trip to Washington,’’ he declared. The delegation was intended to take part in deliberations regarding Israel's operation in Rafah.
Netanyahu's staff explained that this morning that the Americans told Minister Ron Dermer that they intend to pass two separate resolutions in the Security Council. One will call for a ceasefire and the other the release of the hostages, with no connection between the two.
The Security Council began its meeting at 4:00 p.m. Israel time, or 10:00 a.m. EDT, to vote on the decision presented by the ten non-fixed members of the council, which declares that taking hostages is against international law and calls for their immediate release and for a ceasefire until the end of Ramadan.
Ambassador Gilad Erdan will speak a short time after the vote and is expected to criticize the decision of the council, which once again does not condemn Hamas's October 7th massacre. His staff stated: "The Ambassador will present examples of the bias and double standard according to which the Security Council operates regarding terrorism in other states as opposed to that directed against Israeli citizens.’’