Despite international pressure to soften their support to Israelthe United States, criticized on all sides, again today blocked the UN Security Council from demanding an “immediate” ceasefire in Gaza, circulating an alternative text for a possible conditional ceasefire.
The draft resolution, which called for “an immediate humanitarian ceasefire to be respected by all sides”, received 13 votes in favour, one abstention (Britain) and one against, the third US veto since the start of the war between Israel and Hamas.
“The message sent to Israel today by this veto is that they can continue to do anything with complete impunity,” said Palestinian ambassador Riyad Mansour, denouncing an “irresponsible and dangerous veto” that provides yet another “shield” to Israel.
“Today’s mistakes will have a price for our region and our world tomorrow. How will History judge you?” said the Algerian ambassador Amar Benjama, who has been working on this text for the past three weeks.
The Algerian plan also specifically opposed the “forced displacement of the Palestinian civilian population” while Israel spoke of an evacuation, the removal of civilians, ahead of a ground operation in Rafah where 1.4 million people are crowded into the southern part of the Gaza Strip.
Like the previous texts that had denounced Israel and the United States, today’s did not condemn Hamas’s unprecedented October 7 attack on Israel. The attack killed more than 1,160 people, most of them civilians, according to an AFP tally based on official Israeli figures.
In retaliation, the Israeli army launched an offensive that has already killed 29,000 people in Gaza, the vast majority of them civilians, according to the Hamas health ministry, and caused a humanitarian disaster in the besieged Palestinian territory.
Road of no return
As expected, the Russia and the China denounced the US veto, but several other Council members, France, Malta, Slovenia and Sierra Leone, also expressed regret at the decision.
“The human toll and the humanitarian situation in Gaza are intolerable and Israeli operations must stop,” said French Ambassador Nicolas de Riviere.
A terrestrial one business in Rafa “it will lead us down a road of no return,” added his Slovenian counterpart Samuel Zbogar. “It is our duty to react before we wake up from a nightmare.”
The United States had warned over the weekend that the Algerian text would not be accepted.
“I understand the desire of the Council to act urgently but this desire cannot blind us to the reality on the ground, and cannot undermine the only path, I repeat, the only path to a sustainable peace,” the American ambassador emphasized today to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield, considering that the adoption of this resolution would be “irresponsible”.
The US, Israel’s biggest backer, fears jeopardizing difficult diplomatic negotiations to reach a truce that would include a new hostage release.
In this context, they released an alternative draft resolution, seen by AFP.
Although until now they have systematically opposed the use of the term “ceasefire”, vetoing two texts in October and December, their version supports a conditional ceasefire, not an immediate one.
Are they pushing for a veto?
Echoing his recent statements Joe Bidenthe text mentions a “temporary cease-fire in Gaza as soon as possible” and on the basis of a “formula” that would include the release of all hostages.
The US plan, on which no vote is currently scheduled, is on the other hand tough on Rafa, warning that “a large-scale ground operation should not take place under the current circumstances”.
However, some question the US’s goal with this text. “Do they really want this resolution or do they want to push for a veto?” said an unnamed diplomatic source, referring to the strong possibility of a Russian veto on a text drafted by the Americans.
In any case, this American plan “will irritate Israel,” commented Richard Gowan, an analyst at the International Crisis Group. “The United States is finally using the Security Council as a platform to show the limits of its patience with the Israeli campaign.”
The Council, largely divided for years on the Israeli-Palestinian issue, has only adopted two resolutions on the matter since October 7, mainly of a humanitarian nature. To no great effect: the flow of aid into Gaza remains largely inadequate.
Source: RES-MPE
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