For the third time since war broke out in Gaza in October, the US vetoed a ceasefire resolution at the United Nations on Tuesday — even as it unveiled its own draft resolution that goes further in criticizing Israel than it had in the past. It’s a sign that, despite increasingly critical rhetoric from American officials and President Joe Biden, the US is still trying to influence strategy by working with Israel rather than openly opposing its war efforts, which comes in response to Hamas’s October 7 attack on Israel and in which more than 29,000 Palestinians have been killed.
The failed Algerian-led resolution called for an immediate ceasefire, an end to the “forced displacement of the Palestinian civilian population in violation of international law,” the unconditional release of all Israeli hostages, and “unfettered humanitarian access into and throughout Gaza.”
That’s in contrast to an alternative draft resolution proposed by the US, which calls for a temporary ceasefire “as soon as practicable,” condemns Hamas, rejects a planned Israeli ground invasion in southern Gaza, demands the release of all hostages captured by Hamas, and reiterates the US vision for a two-state solution to end the conflict.
That’s further than the US has been willing to go in the past. But in keeping with US policy, the resolution does not go so far as to make any urgent demands of Israel that would potentially drive the country away from the negotiating table, which the Biden administration argues is the avenue most likely to produce a lasting end to hostilities.
“It seems to me that all of this has to be premised on the idea that everybody is involved in the negotiation,” said Jon Alterman, director of the Middle East program at the Center for Strategic and International Studies. “They didn’t want the word ‘immediate’ because they thought that would undermine discussions about hostages.”
There has been increasing pressure, in Israel and…
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