By Ahmed Asmar
ANKARA (AA) - Israeli war cabinet member Benny Gantz joined other Israeli government officials on Monday in rejecting a UN Security Council resolution calling for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza.
In a statement, Gantz said "the UN resolution has no operational significance for Israel," stressing that "Israel has a moral obligation to continue the war until the hostages have been recovered and the Hamas threat has been removed, and will do so."
He did not criticize the US for not vetoing the resolution, however, saying "we will continue to listen to our allies and do what is best for the security of Israel.”
‘’Along with this, it is important to remember that our unique relations with the United States of America is a security and diplomatic anchor for Israel," Gantz said.
He added that "direct discourse with the American government is a vital asset that we cannot surrender even when there are challenges or disagreements."
Far-right Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich slammed the passing of the resolution however, saying it "plays into Hamas’s hands."
“The US decision not to impose a veto in the Security Council plays into Hamas’s hands and harms efforts to return the hostages," Smotrich said in a statement cited by the Times of Israel news website.
He also claimed that the resolution obstructs Israel's efforts to "stabilize the region by eliminating the radical forces and strengthening the moderate forces."
Following the adoption of the resolution, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu called off an official visit for a top delegation to Washington.
A statement by Netanyahu's office said the US decision to allow the resolution to pass was "a clear retreat from the consistent US position in the Security Council since the beginning of the war."
Earlier Monday, the UN Security Council passed a resolution demanding an immediate cease-fire in Gaza during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan, which began on March 11 and is set to end on April 9.
All council members except one, the US, voted for the resolution. The Biden administration chose not to vote against it, which would automatically be a veto, and instead abstained.
The resolution called for an "immediate cease-fire for the month of Ramadan respected by all parties, leading to a lasting sustainable cease-fire."
It also demanded the "immediate and unconditional release of all hostages as well as ensuring humanitarian access to address their medical and other humanitarian needs."
Israel has waged a deadly military offensive on the Palestinian territory since a cross-border attack by the Palestinian group Hamas in which some 1,200 Israelis were killed.
More than 32,333 Palestinians have since been killed and over 74,694 injured amid mass destruction and shortages of necessities.
The Israeli war has pushed 85% of Gaza’s population into internal displacement amid acute shortages of food, clean water and medicine, while 60% of the enclave's infrastructure has been damaged or destroyed, according to the UN.
Israel is accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice. An interim ruling in January ordered Tel Aviv to stop genocidal acts and take measures to guarantee that humanitarian assistance is provided to civilians in Gaza.