U.S. faces widespread criticism over abstaining from U.N. Security Council ceasefire vote [Video]

U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield on Monday explained the abstention, saying that although the nation “fully supports these critical objectives,” certain key edits, like requests to condemn Hamas, were ignored. She accused Hamas of standing in the way of peace and said a ceasefire can begin as soon as the first hostage is released.

Riyad Mansour, observer for Palenstine at the U.N., said his nation is “being murdered” as international law is destroyed by war crimes in Gaza.

Israel also decried the resolution’s lack of condemnation toward Hamas. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu criticized the U.S. in a statement, and said that it “abandoned its policy in the U.N.” by abstaining from the vote.

Analysts said the abstention shows a widening divide between the White House and Israel,the latter of which analysts claimed has the most right-wing administration in its history. By abstaining instead of using its veto power, the U.S. appeared to be in support of a …