The United States vetoed a resolution calling for an immediate ceasefire in Israel’s war against Hamas on Tuesday at the United Nations, as officials maintain their support for a short-term agreement.
“We are eager to continue working with the [U.N. Security] Council on this proposal — one that would see a temporary ceasefire as soon as practicable, based on the formula of all hostages being released, and one that would get aid into the hands of those Palestinians who so desperately need it,” U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas Greenfield said Tuesday.
“All told, we intend to do this the right way so that we can create the right conditions for a safer, more peaceful future,” she continued. “And we will continue to actively engage in the hard work of direct diplomacy on the ground until we reach a final solution.”
Algeria brought the resolution, which called for an immediate ceasefire, to the Security Council, while the U.S. introduced one that called for a “temporary ceasefire.” Those competing resolutions are being debated amid concerns about Israel’s expected military offensive in Rafah, a southern city in Gaza along the Egyptian border, where more than a million Palestinians have sought refuge from the war.
The U.S. and other world leaders have expressed grave concerns about the civilian casualties that could be incurred if Israel carries out military operations in Rafah without adequately accounting for them. Israel’s military operations started in northern Gaza and have steadily moved south, urging Palestinians to evacuate south ahead of their movements, but there is no more territory within the strip further south than Rafah.
The U.S., Qatari, and Egyptian governments are attempting to broker a ceasefire agreement that would halt the war for about six weeks and result in the release of the more than 130 mainly Israeli hostages who remain in Hamas custody.
President Joe Biden and his administration continue to support Israel even as divisions between him and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu become more apparent. They disagree on various aspects of the war, including what should happen in Gaza after the war’s conclusion and who should govern the strip.
Biden said earlier this month that Israel’s military conduct has been “over the top,” and he later told Netanyahu that the action in Rafah “should not proceed without a credible and executable plan for ensuring the safety of and support for the civilians,” according to a readout of a phone call between the two leaders.
Separately, the International Court of Justice is hearing arguments this week in a different case about the legality of Israel’s roles in the Palestinian territories. Israel is not taking part in the hearing, while the U.S. has stressed Israel’s security needs.
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“Any movement towards Israel’s withdrawal from the West Bank and Gaza requires consideration for Israel’s very real security needs,” Richard Visek, acting legal adviser at the U.S. State Department, told the court in The Hague, according to Reuters.
More than 50 states will present arguments until Monday.
