U.S. Proposal to the Security Council; Opposition to Israel's Attack on Rafah and Support for a Temporary Ceasefire in Gaza

The United States on Monday presented an alternative draft resolution to the United Nations Security Council, which calls for a temporary ceasefire in Gaza and opposes Israel's large ground assault on Rafah. According to Reuters, the text of the U.S. draft resolution indicates that under current conditions, a large ground assault on Rafah would lead to further harm to civilians and their forced displacement, including to neighboring countries. The resolution notes that Israel's operations in Rafah would have serious consequences for peace and security in the region, and therefore such a large attack should not occur under current conditions; it also condemns calls from some Israeli cabinet members for the immigration of Jewish settlers to Gaza and rejects any attempts to change the demographic or territorial situation in Gaza that violate international law. The resolution simultaneously opposes any actions that would lead to changes in Gaza's territory or the destruction of civilian infrastructure. It remains unclear whether the U.S. alternative resolution will be put to a vote in the Security Council. A resolution requires at least 9 votes in favor out of 15 total votes and cannot be vetoed by the United States, France, Britain, Russia, or China to be adopted. The U.S. presented this text after Algeria called for a Security Council vote on its draft resolution on Tuesday. Algeria's proposal, submitted two weeks ago, emphasized an immediate ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war. Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the U.S. ambassador to the United Nations, quickly announced that Algeria's plan would be vetoed, as it could jeopardize 'sensitive negotiations' regarding hostages. The United States, Egypt, Israel, and Qatar are seeking to negotiate a halt to the war and the release of Hamas hostages. Traditionally, Washington protects its ally Israel from UN actions and has vetoed Security Council resolutions twice and abstained twice since October 7, while also allowing the council to pass resolutions aimed at increasing aid to the people of Gaza. Reuters reported in December that Israel had told several Arab countries it wanted to create a buffer zone within Gaza's borders to prevent attacks as part of proposals for this area after the war ends. General Assembly resolutions are not binding but carry political weight and reflect global views on the war. The war in Gaza began when Hamas militants, supported by the Islamic Republic, attacked southern Israel on October 7, killing 1,200 people and capturing over 240 in less than a day. Israeli media reported the discovery of 'advanced technologies' belonging to the Islamic Republic under the UNRWA headquarters. Algeria's request for a vote on the ceasefire resolution in the Security Council; the U.S. says it will veto it. Israel's 'full-scale' operations in Gaza may continue for 'eight more weeks.' Israel Katz warns: if diplomatic efforts fail, we have no choice but to eliminate Hezbollah from the Lebanese border. The dispute over the Houthis; Russia and China clashed with the U.S. and Britain in the Security Council.