On October 27, the UN General Assembly voted in favor of an "immediate, durable and sustained humanitarian truce leading to a cessation of hostilities" in Gaza. Alongside Israel, 13 other countries voted against the resolution − among them was the United States.

This comes as no surprise. The United States is a historic ally of Israel, and has been since the Jewish state's creation in 1948. At the time, President Harry Truman recognized the existence of the Jewish state "just 11 minutes after its founding," as recalled by President Joe Biden during a visit to Tel Aviv on October 18.

In this three-minute video, Le Monde explains the historical roots and driving forces behind the strategic alliance between these two countries.

Watch more of Le Monde's explainer videos about the context behind the war in Gaza here.