What's happened
Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu cancels a planned trip to Washington after the US refrains from vetoing a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza. The White House suggests Netanyahu is manufacturing a crisis in US-Israel ties, while the Biden administration aims to mediate a resolution to the Israel-Hamas conflict.
Why it matters
The cancellation of Netanyahu's trip and the escalating tensions between Israel and the US have significant implications for the ongoing Israel-Hamas conflict. The Biden administration's efforts to mediate and prevent further escalation are crucial for regional stability and peace negotiations.
What the papers say
The White House has expressed disappointment over Netanyahu's decision, emphasizing that the US stance on the ceasefire has not changed. Netanyahu's cancellation of the trip is seen as an attempt to create a rift in US-Israel relations. The Israeli delegation's planned discussions on a potential IDF ground operation in Rafah highlight the differing perspectives on how to address the conflict.
How we got here
The cancellation of the trip follows the US abstention from a UN Security Council resolution calling for a ceasefire in Gaza without conditioning it on the release of hostages. Netanyahu's decision reflects Israel's concerns about the resolution's impact on the conflict dynamics and hostage situation.
Common question
More on these topics
-
The United States of America, commonly known as the United States or America, is a country mostly located in central North America, between Canada and Mexico.
-
Hamas is a Palestinian Sunni-Islamic fundamentalist militant organization. It has a social service wing, Dawah, and a military wing, the Izz ad-Din al-Qassam Brigades.
-
Benjamin Netanyahu is an Israeli politician serving as Prime Minister of Israel since 2009, and previously from 1996 to 1999. Netanyahu is also the Chairman of the Likud – National Liberal Movement.
-
Israel, formally known as the State of Israel, is a country in Western Asia, located on the southeastern shore of the Mediterranean Sea and the northern shore of the Red Sea.
-
Rafah is a Palestinian city in the southern Gaza Strip. It is the district capital of the Rafah Governorate, located 30 kilometers south of Gaza City. Rafah's population of 152,950 is overwhelmingly made up of former Palestinian refugees.
-
The Gaza Strip, or simply Gaza, is a self-governing Palestinian territory on the eastern coast of the Mediterranean Sea, that borders Egypt on the southwest for 11 kilometers and Israel on the east and north along a 51 km border.