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Matthew Miller, spokesman for the US State Department
Photo: Nathan Howard / AP
There are serious allegations from Israel: According to Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the latest UN Security Council resolution has damaged the hostage negotiations with the Islamist Hamas. A statement that the US government does not want to leave standing. Netanyahu's statement was "inaccurate in almost every respect, and it is unfair to the hostages and their families," said US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller.
Hamas had already prepared its response to the latest negotiation proposal before the vote in the UN Security Council, said Miller. In addition, the Hamas response is being misrepresented to the public. According to Miller, the US government will not engage in "rhetorical diversionary tactics."
This once again highlights the growing differences between the USA and Israel over the actions in Gaza.
UN Security Council calls for “immediate ceasefire”
Netanyahu's office released a statement on Tuesday complaining that Hamas had rejected a US compromise proposal in the hostage negotiations. Netanyahu said: "Hamas' position clearly proves that it is not interested in continuing negotiations on a deal and is sad evidence of the damage caused by the UN Security Council's decision."
With a resolution that is binding under international law, the UN Security Council called for an “immediate ceasefire” in the Gaza Strip on Monday for the first time since the start of the war. The UN body also demanded the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages held by Hamas.
The USA waived its right to veto in the vote, thereby helping the resolution, which increases international pressure on Israel, to succeed. The decision came against the backdrop of the catastrophic humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and concerns about an Israeli offensive in the town of Rafah on the border with Egypt.
Netanyahu canceled delegation visit to the USA
Netanyahu reacted angrily to the Americans' voting behavior and immediately canceled a delegation's visit to Washington that had been requested by the US government. This in turn caused irritation among the ally USA. Miller now said that the US government makes decisions "not based on minor disagreements or whether someone canceled a meeting or not." The focus is always on the national security interests of the USA and its partners in the region.
aka/dpa