“We have no moral right to end the war while there are still hostages in the Gaza Strip. Failure to achieve a decisive victory in the Gaza Strip might bring us closer to war in the north,” Gallant said before meetings with US National Security Advisor Jake Sullivan and Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office earlier on Monday canceled a delegation’s trip to Washington following the United Nations Security Council passed a resolution demanding a cease-fire in the Gaza Strip. The US abstained in that vote.
Netanyahu’s office said the US abstention was undermining Israel’s fight once morest Hamas and efforts to release hostages still being held in the Gaza Strip.
“This gives Hamas hope that international pressure will allow them to agree to a cease-fire without the release of our abductees,” Netanyahu said.
In response, the White House said the United States was “deeply disappointed” that a planned visit by an Israeli delegation to discuss concerns over a possible offensive in the southern Gaza Strip was canceled.
“We are very disappointed that they will not be coming to Washington so that we can have a detailed discussion with them regarding viable alternatives to invading the Rafah area,” National Security Council spokesman John Kirby told reporters.
The White House also indicated that the US abstention in the vote on the UN Security Council resolution does not mean that Washington is changing its policy.
It does not represent “a change in our policy,” Mr. Kirby told reporters, adding that the United States supported the ceasefire but abstained because the resolution did not condemn the Palestinian group Hamas.
The United States has also said that a cease-fire can only be implemented if Hamas begins to release the hostages still being held.
“The ceasefire can begin as soon as the first hostage is released,” said US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield (Linda Tomas Greenfield).
“This is the only way to ensure a ceasefire,” she said.
The war began with an unprecedented attack by Hamas on October 7, which killed an estimated 1,160 people in Israel, mostly civilians, according to official figures.
Hamas also took regarding 250 hostages, of which Israel knows regarding 130 are still in the Gaza Strip, including 33 dead hostages.
After vowing to destroy Hamas, Israel launched a massive military offensive that killed at least 32,226 people, mostly women and children, in the besieged enclave, according to the Hamas-ruled territory’s Health Ministry.
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2024-03-30 19:32:36
