*ISLAMABAD- The United States on Monday blocked — for the third time in aweek — the adoption of a joint UN Security Council statement calling for ahalt to Israeli violence in Gaza, triggering a new emergency closed-doorsession set for Tuesday*.
The text drafted by China, Tunisia and Norway was submitted late Sunday forapproval Monday by the council’s 15 members, as Israeli jets continued topound the Gaza Strip and the death toll from a week of violence passed 200.
The United States indicated that they “could not currently support anexpression” by the Security Council, one diplomat told AFP.
The Norwegian diplomatic mission to the UN announced that the SecurityCouncil would hold a new emergency closed-door meeting on theIsraeli-Palestinian issue on Tuesday — its fourth since May 10.
“The situation on the ground continues to deteriorate. Innocent civilianscontinue being killed and injured. We repeat: stop the fire. Endhostilities now,” the delegation said on Twitter.
The Security Council has held three emergency meetings on the escalatingviolence in the past week, the latest on Sunday, without reaching a commonposition — with Israel’s main ally the United States accused ofobstructionism.
UN spokesman Stephane Dujarric underlined the importance of taking aconsolidated position on the conflict.
“I would really restate the need for a very strong and unified voice fromthe Security Council, which we think will carry weight,” he told a pressconference.
The UN General Assembly will hold an in-person debate on theIsraeli-Palestinian issue at 1400 GMT on Thursday, assembly spokesmanBrenden Varma said.
According to diplomats, the session will take place at a ministerial leveland several government officials have already indicated they would takepart.
*‘Protect civilians, especially children’*
The latest draft text, seen by AFP, called for “de-escalation of thesituation, cessation of violence and respect for international humanitarianlaw, including the protection of civilians, especially children.”
It voiced the council’s “grave concern” at the Gaza crisis and its “seriousconcern” regarding the possible eviction of Palestinian families from theirhomes in East Jerusalem, opposing “unilateral actions” likely to furtherescalate tensions.
The draft also welcomed international efforts to de-escalate the situation,without reference to the United States, and reiterated the council’ssupport for a negotiated two-state solution allowing Israelis andPalestinians to “live side by side in peace within secure and recognizedborders.”
The US refusal to endorse a joint Security Council statement has been metwith disbelief by its allies.
“We are just asking the US to support a statement by the Security Councilthat would pretty much say similar things which are being sayingbilaterally from Washington,” one diplomat told AFP on condition ofanonymity.
President Joe Biden’s administration has insisted that it is working behindthe scenes, including through a visit to the region by an envoy, and that aUN statement could backfire, according to diplomats.
At a news conference in Copenhagen on Monday, US Secretary of State AntonyBlinken defended the decision to block a Security Council statement callingfor an end to the hostilities.
“We’re not standing in the way of diplomacy,” Blinken stressed. -APP/AFP