US calls for temporary ceasefire in UN text

At the UN Security Council, the United States has proposed a resolution that calls for a temporary ceasefire in Gaza. It has likewise cautioned Israel against attacking the stuffed city of Rafah.

The US has recently stayed away from a “truce” during UN votes on the conflict, yet President Joe Biden has offered comparable remarks. Be that as it may, the US intends to reject another draft goal – from Algeria – which requires a prompt helpful truce.

More than a million displaced Palestinians, who represent about half of Gaza’s population, are crammed into Rafah after being forced to seek shelter there. The southern city, which borders Egypt, was home to only 250,000 people before the war.

Many of the displaced are living in makeshift shelters or tents in squalid conditions, with scarce access to safe drinking water or food. The UN has issued its warning that a planned Israeli offensive in the city could lead to a “slaughter”.

Israel launched its operations in Gaza following an attack by Hamas gunmen on southern Israel on 7 October, during which about 1,200 people were killed and more than 240 others taken hostage. The Israeli military campaign has killed 29,000 people in the Palestinian territory, according to the Hamas-run health ministry there.

Washington has come under immense international pressure to use its leverage to rein in Israel’s devastating operations, having spent much of the war emphasizing its ally’s right to self-defense. While it has vowed to block the Algerian draft, its rival text does register opposition to Israel’s plans.

Talks will begin on the US draft this week, but it is not clear when or if the proposal might be put to a vote. Under the UN charter, members “agree to accept and carry out” decisions made by the Security Council – in contrast with decisions made at the General Assembly, which are non-binding.

It is the first time the US has called for a temporary ceasefire in Gaza at the UN, having vetoed previous resolutions using the word. The US draft also states that a major ground offensive in Rafah would result in more harm to civilians and their further displacement, including potentially into neighboring countries – a reference to Egypt. It also says such a move would have serious implications for regional peace and security.