US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said the United States presented a draft resolution to the UN Security Council calling for an “immediate ceasefire linked to the release of hostages” in the Strip. from Gaza, in an interview with Saudi media Al Hadath.
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“ We have actually submitted a resolution which is now before the Security Council which calls for an immediate ceasefire linked to the release of the hostages and we very much hope that countries will support it “, declared Antony Blinken, to the Saudi media Al Hadath, on Wednesday March 20 evening, on the sidelines of a visit to the kingdom devoted to the war between Israel and Hamas. The American Secretary of State added that he hoped that this initiative would send a “ strong signal “. However, no vote is currently scheduled on this text. The United States has put its veto to several resolutions calling for immediate ceasefires in the war between Israel and the Palestinian Islamist movement.
The text of the resolution, consulted by AFP, underlines “ the need for an immediate and lasting ceasefire to protect civilians on all sides, enable the delivery of essential humanitarian assistance ” And ” unequivocally supports international diplomatic efforts to achieve such a ceasefire in connection with the release of the hostages still held “.
Sixth month
In the sixth month of the war started on October 7 by a bloody attack by the Islamist movement Hamas on Israeli soil, international concerns are growing in the face of the threat of famine and the human toll which continues to increase Gaza with more than 31,923 dead, according to the report Wednesday from the Hamas Ministry of Health. Early on March 21, the ministry announced the death of 70 other people in Israeli fire and clashes in the Gaza Strip where witnesses reported overnight airstrikes in the center of the territory and violent fighting around al-Chifa hospital in Gaza City (north).
For his sixth tour to the Middle East since the start of the war, Mr. Blinken is expected this Thursday in Egypt and March 22 in Israel; he should discuss with his interlocutors the efforts made to achieve “ an immediate ceasefire agreement guaranteeing the release of all hostages “, in the same way ” intensifying international efforts to increase humanitarian aid to Gaza and post-conflict coordination “.
Avoiding the ground offensive against Rafah
Historical allies of Israel, the United States is trying to avoid a major land offensive on Rafah, a city backed by the closed border of Egypt, the last major bastion of Hamas, where 1.5 million Palestinians are nevertheless crowded. , the vast majority displaced by the violence in the rest of the territory. However, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu considers an operation in Rafah necessary to achieve his goal of “ defeat » Hamas and prevent it from attacking Israel again from the Gaza Strip.
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