NEW YORK (Reuters) — The United States has proposed a rival draft of the United Nations Security Council resolution that would underscore the body’s “support for a temporary ceasefire in Gaza as soon as practicable,” according to the text seen by Reuters on Monday.
Washington has been averse to the word “ceasefire” in any UN action on the Israel-Hamas war, but the US draft text echoes language that President Joe Biden said he used last week in conversations with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
The US draft text also “determines that under current circumstances a major ground offensive into Rafah would result in further harm to civilians and their further displacement including potentially into neighboring countries.”
Israel plans to expand its offensive into Rafah in southern Gaza, where more than 1 million Palestinians have sought shelter, prompting international concern that such a move would sharply worsen the humanitarian crisis in Gaza.
The draft US resolution says such a move “would have serious implications for regional peace and security, and therefore underscores that such a major ground offensive should not proceed under current circumstances.”
It was not immediately clear when or whether the draft resolution would be put to a vote in the 15-member council.
The US put forward the text after Algeria on Saturday requested the council vote on Tuesday on a draft resolution demanding an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war. US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield quickly signaled that it would be vetoed.
It was unclear how a temporary ceasefire differs from a humanitarian ceasefire, if at all.
Washington traditionally shields its ally Israel from UN action and has already twice vetoed council resolutions since October 7, the day thousands of Hamas terrorists stormed into southern Israel, touching off war with a massacre that left some 1,200 dead and hundreds more captive in Gaza. Most victims were civilians and over 100 hostages remain in Gaza, as well as the remains of over two dozen others taken on October 7.
The US has also abstained twice in the Security Council, allowing it to adopt resolutions that aimed to boost humanitarian aid to Gaza and called for urgent and extended humanitarian pauses in fighting.
The US, Egypt, Israel, and Qatar are seeking to negotiate a pause in the war and the release of hostages held by Hamas.
Algeria put forward an initial draft resolution more than two weeks ago. But Thomas-Greenfield said the text could jeopardize the “sensitive negotiations” about the hostages.
Times of Israel staff contributed to this report.