The US government has rejected a claim by Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu that the UN Security Council's demand for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza has damaged negotiations between Israel and Palestinian militant organization Hamas over the release of hostages.
US State Department spokesman Matthew Miller said that statements from Netanyahu's office implying that Hamas rejected the latest proposal in the hostage negotiations because of the UN resolution were "inaccurate in almost every respect and it is unfair to the hostages and their families."
"I can tell you that that response was prepared before the UN Security Council vote, not after it," Miller said in a press briefing in Washington on Tuesday, adding that the account of Hamas' response circulating in the public domain was incorrect.
Miller said that the US government would not "engage in rhetorical distractions on this issue," but would continue its efforts to secure the release of the hostages.
Netanyahu's office published a statement earlier on Tuesday claiming that "Hamas's stance clearly demonstrates its utter disinterest in a negotiated deal and attests to the damage done by the UN Security Council's resolution."
In a resolution 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. In addition, the most powerful body of the United Nations is demanding the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages held by Hamas.
The US, Israel's biggest ally, decided not to use its veto power, allowing the resolution to succeed.
The decision was made against the backdrop of the catastrophic humanitarian situation in the Gaza Strip and concerns about an announced Israeli offensive in the city of Rafah on the border with Egypt.
Netanyahu reacted angrily to the US' voting behaviour and immediately cancelled the visit of a delegation to Washington requested by the US government.
Miller said on Tuesday that the US government does not make decisions "based on minor disagreements or whether someone canceled a meeting or not," adding that the national security interests of the US and its partners in the region always take centre stage.
