Israel says it will defy UN Security Council resolution

Israel has slammed a United Nations Security Council resolution that called for “extended humanitarian pauses” to fighting in the Gaza Strip.

Israel’s ambassador to the UN, Gilad Erdan, in reacting to the resolution, said, “The decision is disconnected from reality and holds no significance. Israel already operates in Gaza according to international law, while Hamas terrorists will ignore the decision and certainly not act in accordance with it.”

“Israel will continue its actions until the destruction of Hamas and the return of the kidnapped,” he added.

While the resolution falls short of calling for a ceasefire, it is the first one passed by the UN Security Council since Hamas launched its attacks on 7 October, which killed 1,200 people, and the subsequent Israeli retaliation on Gaza, which has killed more than 11,000 people over the last five weeks.