(CNN) — US Ambassador to the United Nations Linda Thomas-Greenfield has warned that Washington will not accept Algeria's proposed draft resolution calling for a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza if it is put to a vote in the UN Security Council.
In a statement on Saturday, Thomas-Greenfield said the United States was working on an agreement between Israel and Hamas that would allow the release of hostages and a pause in fighting for at least six weeks.
“Over the past week, President Biden has called several times with Prime Minister Netanyahu and the leaders of Egypt and Qatar to push this deal forward. While there are gaps, key elements are on the table,” the ambassador said.
“We believe this agreement is the best opportunity to reunite all hostages with their families and allow for a long-term pause in the fighting that will allow more food, water, fuel, medicine and other life-saving essentials to reach the hands of Palestinian citizens who need it most,” he said.
“The resolution introduced in the Security Council, on the contrary, cannot achieve these results and, in fact, can work against them. Therefore, the United States does not support any action on this draft resolution. “If voted on as written, it will not be accepted,” said Thomas-Greenfield.
This Wednesday, Arab states at the UN reaffirmed their support for Algeria's draft resolution, which calls for an immediate ceasefire in Gaza and unimpeded humanitarian aid between Israel's imminent ground occupation of Rafah.
At a news conference with other members, Riyad Mansour, the Palestinian ambassador to the United Nations, urged the UN to act and said the group believed there was “massive” support for the proposed resolution.
In his report this Saturday, Thomas-Greenfield said the UN He called on the Security Council to ensure that “any action we take in the coming days will increase the pressure on Hamas to accept the proposal that Hamas has on the table” and ensure continued US engagement. The diplomacy adds that the U.S. will “be realistic” with Israeli and regional leaders about their expectations for the safety of the more than one million civilians in Rafah.
“It is more important to give the other parties a better chance of success (and the prospect of a lasting resolution to hostilities) than to press for actions that could undermine the process,” the statement said.
