© Reuters. The United States plans to propose a Gaza ceasefire draft to the United Nations. The White House’s change of attitude is suspected of seeking votes for the election.
Financial Associated Press, February 20 (Editor Ma Lan)The Israeli-Palestinian conflict has ushered in new developments. According to reports, the Biden administration will propose a draft resolution on a temporary ceasefire in the conflict between Israel and Hamas to the United Nations Security Council as early as Tuesday and oppose Israel’s large-scale ground offensive on the Rafah Strip in southern Gaza.
Previously, the U.S. government has been opposed to the word “ceasefire” in any United Nations resolutions on the Palestinian-Israeli conflict, and this new draft seems to represent a subtle change in the official attitude of the United States.
The United States pointed out in the text of the draft that launching a large-scale ground attack on Rafah under the current circumstances will further harm Gaza civilians and lead to large-scale refugees flowing into neighboring countries. This will have a negative impact on regional peace and security, and Israel should not take such actions at this time.
It is not yet clear when the draft will be voted on in the United Nations. Its passage requires at least 9 votes in favor of the 15 Security Council members, and none of the five permanent members – the United States, France, Britain, Russia, and China – Use the veto power.
On Tuesday, the United Nations Security Council is expected to vote on a draft resolution proposed by Algeria, which calls for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire between Palestine and Israel. But Thomas Greenfield, the U.S. representative to the United Nations, has threatened to use his veto power.
Voter pressure? Since the conflict between Palestine and Israel broke out last year, the United States has actually been mediating for Israel’s free space in the international arena and has vetoed ceasefire resolutions in two Security Council resolutions. But at the same time, it also abstained twice, allowing the Security Council to step up humanitarian aid to Gaza and call for an urgent and long-term ceasefire.
A senior U.S. official said there is no intention to rush to ask the United Nations to vote on the U.S. draft resolution, and the White House does not believe that the Security Council must take urgent action before a certain deadline. But it said the United States would redouble its efforts in negotiations.
Biden also rarely expressed his support for a ceasefire during a meeting with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu last Friday. He hopes Israel will not conduct a large-scale land invasion so that hostage negotiations can continue.
Israel insists that if the Israeli hostages held by Hamas do not return home during the traditional Arab holy month of Ramadan, Israel will continue the fighting and expand it to Rafah. Ramadan will begin on March 11.
Colonel Yigal Carmon of the Israeli military intelligence department said that the Rafah port is the most serious smuggling area under the control of the Egyptian government all year round. If it is not stopped, the war will be endless. The United States could, but did not put pressure on Egypt but on Israel, which would not have worked.
Some observers attribute the Biden administration’s change of tone to campaign pressure. For the large number of American Muslim votes in Dearborn, Michigan, Biden had to temporarily abandon Israel to win support in this key swing state.
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2024-02-20 03:01:00
