US Stand Against Israel For The First Time, Issues Strong Warning Over Planned Rafah Offensive In Gaza

The United States has presented a draft resolution to the UN Security Council, explicitly backing a temporary ceasefire and urging Israel to abandon its planned offensive on Rafah in southern Gaza.

This marks the first time the US explicitly supports a ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas conflict. The draft resolution emphasizes the potential harm to civilians and their displacement, suggesting that a major ground offensive into Rafah should not proceed under current circumstances.

According to a text seen by the Guardian, the US draft resolution says the security council “determines that under current circumstances a major ground offensive into Rafah would result in further harm to civilians and their further displacement including potentially into neighbouring countries, which would have serious implications for regional peace and security, and therefore underscores that such a major ground offensive should not proceed under current circumstances”.

The move signals a shift in the US approach, opting for UN pressure rather than relying solely on bilateral messages to Israel. The UK also calls for an immediate halt to fighting and a focus on achieving lasting peace in the region.