Tag: US airdrops

The United States on Tuesday circulated a newly revised draft United Nations Security Council resolution calling for an immediate temporary ceasefire in Gaza and the release of all hostages, according to a UN diplomat who confirmed the text to CNN.

The US, which wants any Security Council support for a ceasefire to be linked to the release of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza, has traditionally protected its ally Israel from UN actions. It has repeatedly resisted calls for a “ceasefire,” emphasizing what it claims is Israel’s right to defend itself following Hamas’ terror attack on October 7. 

In its latest draft, the US emphasized support for a temporary ceasefire to “intensify diplomatic and other efforts aimed at creating the conditions for a sustainable cessation of hostilities and lasting peace.” Earlier drafts of the US resolution called for a “temporary ceasefire in Gaza as soon as practicable,” which fell short of the wishes of most other Security Council members.

The US has said it plans to allow time for negotiations on its latest draft and will not rush to a vote, according to the diplomatic source. 

To be adopted, the resolution would need at least nine votes in favor and no vetoes from any of the Security Council’s five permanent members — the US, France, Britain, Russia and China.

Israel is not sending a delegation to Cairo for talks on a deal for a ceasefire and release of hostages from Gaza, an Israeli official told CNN Sunday.

The official said the reason was that Hamas had not responded to two Israeli demands: a list of hostages specifying which are alive and which are dead; and confirmation of the ratio of Palestinian prisoners to be released from Israeli prisons in exchange for hostages.

The official asked not to be named as they discussed closed-door diplomatic maneuvers.

A Hamas delegation arrived in Cairo on Sunday, for the talks that are hoped to bring a halt to the fighting.

The decision not to send an Israeli delegation was made by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in coordination with Mossad director David Barnea — who has been a key Israeli negotiator — after Barnea received a message that Hamas had not responded to the conditions, the Israeli official said.

A high-ranking Hamas official did not immediately respond to a CNN question about whether the militant group had responded to Israel’s conditions.

More background: Netanyahu outlined the terms in a speech on Thursday, saying: “I demand to know in advance the names of all the hostages who will be included in the outline. I have yet to receive an answer on the two questions and it is too early to say, in spite of our willingness, if we will achieve an outline for an additional release in the coming days.”

The Israeli decision that no delegation will go to Cairo comes a day after a senior Biden administration official told reporters that Israel had “basically accepted” a proposal for a six-week ceasefire.