US Drafts Resolution Calling For Immediate Ceasefire In Gaza
The United States has drafted a new United Nations Security Council resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza tied to the release of hostages.
Secretary of State Antony Blinken informed Saudi media outlet Al Hadath of the news on Wednesday.
This comes amid mounting pressure on Israel to halt its military campaign and allow the delivery of humanitarian aid into the enclave.
A UN panel of experts declared imminent famine in parts of Gaza earlier this week and in turn, the Biden administration has been escalating efforts to call for a temporary halt to the fighting at the least. It also reportedly warned Israel against a launching ground attack against Rafah.
“The ceasefire would bring immediate relief to so many people who are suffering in Gaza – the children, the women, the men. It would allow a much greater expansion of humanitarian assistance getting to them, and it could create the conditions to have a lasting, enduring ceasefire, which is also what we want to see,” Blinken said.
“But, of course, we stand with Israel and its right to defend itself, to make sure that 7th October never happens again, but at the same time, it’s imperative that the civilians who are in harm’s way and who are suffering so terribly – that we focus on them, that we make them a priority, protecting the civilians, getting them humanitarian assistance.”
“And we’ve been leading the effort to do that, to get more in, to get more to the people who need it. We are pressing on that as hard as we can.”
Interestingly, the US has vetoed a number of resolutions in the UN Security Council calling for a truce and a ceasefire. Just last February, it objected to the use of the term “immediate” in an Algerian-drafted resolution but it seems that the tides are changing.
The draft resolution reportedly states: “Determines the imperative of an immediate and sustained ceasefire to protect civilians on all sides, allow for the delivery of essential humanitarian assistance, and alleviate humanitarian suffering, and towards that end unequivocally supports ongoing international diplomatic efforts to secure such a ceasefire in connection with the release of all remaining hostages.”
This resolution comes after the UN released an analysis of satellite imagery, uncovering that Israel’s offensive had led to the damage or destruction of 35% of buildings in Gaza. This information was shared alongside the draft resolution, amid reports of nearly 32,000 Palestinian casualties.
It further follows a warning from UN human rights chief Volker Turk that Israel may be committing a war crime through the use of starvation as a method of war.
A vote on the new text is yet to be scheduled.
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