Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu canceled the Israeli delegation that was meant to meet with senior US officials in DC this week as “a message to Hamas,” said Netanyahu in a meeting with US Senator Rick Scott Wednesday.
Netanyahu canceled the delegation following a US abstention in the UN Security Council Monday that led to the adoption of a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and the immediate release of the hostages.
“I thought the US decision in the Security Council was very, very bad,” Netanyahu said in the meeting.
Message to Hamas: pressure will not yield
“It encouraged Hamas to take a hardline and to believe that international pressure will prevent Israel from freeing the hostages and destroying Hamas.
“Therefore, my decision not to send the delegation to Washington in the wake of that resolution, was first and foremost a message to Hamas – don’t bet on this pressure to work.”
This is a developing story.