The United States threatened to veto a new Gaza ceasefire resolution in the UN Security Council
The US Ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, warned that if the resolution proposed by Algeria calling for a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza is voted on in the UN Security Council in its current form, Washington will not adopt it.
In a statement on Saturday, Thomas-Greenfield said the United States is working to reach an agreement between Israel and Hamas that would lead to the release of the hostages and a cessation of fighting for at least six weeks.
The ambassador said: “Over the past week, President Biden has made multiple calls with Prime Minister Netanyahu, as well as with the leaders of Egypt and Qatar, to advance this agreement. Although disagreements remain, the basic elements are on the table.”
“We believe this agreement represents the best opportunity to reunite all hostages with their families and allow a long cessation of fighting, allowing more food, water, fuel, medicine and other necessities to get into the hands of Palestinian civilians who desperately need it,” he added.
“In contrast, the resolution presented in the Security Council will not achieve these results, and could even work against them… For this reason, the United States does not support taking action on this draft resolution. If it is put to a vote, Thomas-Greenfield continued: “As “If it is redacted, it will not be approved.”
On Wednesday, Arab states at the United Nations affirmed their support for the Algerian draft resolution, which calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and the provision of unimpeded humanitarian relief amid Israel's imminent ground invasion of Rafah. In a press conference with other members, Palestinian UN Ambassador Riyad Mansour urged the UN to act and said the group believed there was “huge” support for the proposed resolution.
In her statement on Saturday, Thomas-Greenfield called on the UN Security Council to ensure “that any action we take in the coming days increases pressure on Hamas to accept the proposal on the table” and that the United States will continue to do so. To engage in diplomatic efforts, adding that the United States “will be frank” with Israeli and regional leaders about expectations regarding the protection of more than a million civilians in Rafah.
“It is important that other parties give this process the best chance of success rather than pressing for actions that jeopardize the opportunity for a lasting solution to the hostilities,” the statement said.