UNITED NATIONS — The United States has circulated a rival U.N. Security Council resolution that would back a temporary ceasefire in Gaza, after rejecting an Arab-backed resolution calling for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the conflict-affected area was demanded.
The U.S. draft resolution, obtained Monday by The Associated Press, would underline that a temporary ceasefire “as soon as practicable” requires the release of all hostages taken from Israel following the Oct. 7 Hamas attack, and calls for the lifting of all restrictions on the delivery of humanitarian aid.
The US draft says both actions “would help create the conditions for a lasting cessation of hostilities,” as called for in a resolution adopted by the council on December 22.
The proposed resolution says Israel’s planned major ground offensive in the southern Gaza city of Rafah, where some 1.5 million Palestinians have sought safety, “must not proceed under the current circumstances.” And it warns that further relocation of civilians, “including possibly to neighboring countries,” a reference to Egypt, would have serious consequences for regional peace and security.
The Security Council is expected to vote on Tuesday morning on the Arab-backed draft resolution circulated by Algeria, which represents the 22 Arab countries in the UN’s most powerful body.
In addition to a ceasefire, the final Algerian draft, obtained by AP, also calls for the immediate release of all hostages and reiterates the council’s demands that Israel and Hamas “scrupulously comply” with international law, in particular the protection of citizens, and rejects the forced displacement of Palestinian civilians.
U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said in a statement Sunday that the United States has been working for months on a hostage agreement that would bring at least a six-week period of calm “from which we could then take the time and steps to build a more lasting peace.” .”
She said U.S. President Joe Biden has had multiple calls with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and the leaders of Egypt and Qatar over the past week to move the deal forward. Qatar said on Saturday that the talks were “not progressing as expected.”
“While gaps still exist,” Thomas-Greenfield said, “the most important elements are on the table” and remain the best chance to reunite hostages with their families and allow for a longer pause in the fighting, allowing life-saving assistance to Palestinian civilians may face justice. need it badly.
In contrast, the Arab-backed resolution would not achieve these results, “and could even go against them,” she said. “For this reason, the United States does not support any action based on this draft resolution. Should it be put to the vote in the form as drafted, it will not be adopted.”
U.S. Deputy Ambassador Robert Wood told several reporters on Monday that the Algerian draft is not an “effective mechanism to try to do the three things we want to see happen — namely, freeing hostages, more aid and a prolonged pause in this conflict .” .”
With the American design, “what we are looking at is another possible option and we will discuss this with friends in the future,” Wood said. “I don’t think you can expect anything to happen tomorrow.”
Arab countries, backed by many of the 193 UN member states, have been demanding a ceasefire for months as Israel’s military offensive in response to the Hamas attack has intensified, with the number of Palestinians killed now exceeding 29,000, according to reports. the Gaza Health Council. Ministry, which makes no distinction between civilians and combatants, but says the majority are women and children.
The chairman of the Arab Group, Tunisia’s UN Ambassador Tarek Ladeb, told UN reporters on Wednesday that some 1.5 million Palestinians who sought safety in the southern Gaza city of Rafah would face a “catastrophic scenario” if Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu continues with a possible evacuation. of civilians and military offensive in the area bordering Egypt.
Netanyahu ordered the military to come up with a plan for evacuating Rafah, but Israel has not announced a plan or timeline.
Algeria’s draft resolution also expresses “grave concern about the serious and urgently deteriorating humanitarian situation” in Gaza and reiterates the council’s call for unhindered humanitarian access throughout the territory, where UN officials say a quarter of the 2.3 million residents are facing famine.
