A camp set up for people displaced from the areas of Khan Yunis and northern Rafah, in the southern Gaza border city with Egypt, on February 15, 2024, as fighting continues between Israel and the Palestinian Hamas movement. Children standing outside the tent.
Mohamed Abed | AFP | Getty Images
The United States has proposed an alternative to a UN Security Council resolution calling for a temporary ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war and opposing Israel’s large-scale ground offensive in Rafah in southern Gaza, according to a document seen by Reuters on Monday. .
Washington has abhorred the term ceasefire in any UN action. israel-hamas warHowever, the US draft text reflects language such as: president joe biden He said he used the word in a conversation with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last week.
The U.S. draft document concludes that “under the current circumstances, a large-scale ground attack on Rafah would result in further harm to civilians and potentially further evacuation, including to neighboring countries. ”.
Israel is planning an assault on Rafah, where more than 1 million of the Gaza Strip’s 2.3 million Palestinians have taken refuge, raising concerns that such a move could sharply worsen Gaza’s humanitarian crisis. is causing international concern.
The draft U.S. resolution emphasizes that such a large-scale ground attack should not proceed under the current circumstances, as such measures would have “serious implications for peace and security in the region.” It has said.
It was not immediately clear when or if the draft resolution would be put to a vote by the 15-member council. At least nine votes are required for the resolution to be adopted, and the US, France, UK, Russia and China cannot veto it.
The United States followed Algeria in filing the document on Saturday. requested a vote in parliament on Tuesday Regarding the draft resolution calling for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war. U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield immediately announced her intention to veto the bill.
deny buffer zone
Algeria proposes first resolution Over 2 weeks ago. But as Thomas Greenfield said: The document could jeopardize ‘delicate negotiations’ About hostages. The United States, Egypt, Israel and Qatar are seeking negotiations for a pause in the war and the release of hostages held by Hamas.
The US government has traditionally shielded its ally Israel from UN action, and has vetoed council resolutions twice since October 7. But it twice abstained, allowing the Council to adopt a resolution calling for an immediate and long-term cessation of humanitarian fighting, with the aim of increasing aid to Gaza. .
A draft US document condemns calls by some Israeli government ministers for Jewish settlers. Migration to Gaza And it will reject any attempt to change the demographics or territory of Gaza in violation of international law.
The resolution also prohibits “any action by any party that reduces the territory of Gaza, temporarily or permanently, including through the formal or informal establishment of so-called buffer zones or the widespread and systematic destruction of civilian infrastructure. “I also refuse.” . ”
Reuters reported in December that Israel told several Arab countries: carve out a buffer zone inside the Gaza border To prevent attacks as part of a proposal for the enclave after the end of the war.
The war began on October 7 when fighters from the militant group Hamas, which runs the Gaza Strip, attacked Israel, killing 1,200 people and taking 253 hostages, according to Israeli tallies. In retaliation, Israel launched a military offensive into Gaza that health officials say has killed more than 28,000 Palestinians and feared thousands more bodies were lost in the ruins.
In December, more than three-quarters of the 193-member United Nations General Assembly attended. voted to call for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. Although General Assembly resolutions are not binding, they carry political weight, reflecting global views on war.
UN Secretary-General António Guterres has long called for a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza.UN aid chief Martin Griffiths warned last week. He said military operations in Rafah “could lead to genocide.”
