Blinken reiterated Washington’s support of Israel saying “But, of course, we stand with Israel and its right to defend itself, to make sure that October 7th never happens again.”
The United States has put forward a draft resolution to the UN Security Council resolution calling for an “immediate ceasefire linked to the release of hostages” in the besieged Gaza Strip, according to Secretary of State Antony Blinken.
The diplomat made the announcement on Wednesday in an interview with the Al-Hadath news channel during his visit to Jeddah, Saudi Arabia. This is Blinken’s sixth visit to the Middle East region since October 7, which will include a stop in Tel Aviv.
“We actually have a resolution that we put forward right now that’s before the United Nations Security Council that does call for an immediate ceasefire tied to the release of hostages, and we hope very much that countries will support that,” Blinken said, according to a transcript released by the State Department.
🇺🇸 US Secretary of State Antony #Blinken landed in Saudi Arabia on Wednesday to discuss efforts to secure a #ceasefire in #Gaza and ramp up aid deliveries to the Palestinian territory.@lizakaminov reports 👇 pic.twitter.com/b3HesEOYiZ
— FRANCE 24 English (@France24_en) March 21, 2024
“I think that would send a strong message, a strong signal,” he added.
The US has vetoed previous UN Security Council votes on the war. Last month it objected to the use of the term “immediate” in a draft submitted by Algeria.
Blinken reiterated Washington’s support of Israel saying “But, of course, we stand with Israel and its right to defend itself, to make sure that October 7th never happens again.”
“But at the same time, it’s imperative that the civilians who are in harm’s way and who are suffering so terribly – that we focus on them, that we make them a priority, protecting the civilians, getting them humanitarian assistance,” he added.
After meeting with Saudi Crown Prince MBS last night in Jeddah, Blinken is now departing for Cairo, where he will attend a regional meeting with Arab representatives, largely to discuss post-war Gaza. He will also have a meeting with Egypt’s Sisi and Shoukry. pic.twitter.com/zN6J0aA3gc
— Hümeyra Pamuk (@humeyra_pamuk) March 21, 2024
Humanitarian Aid
Asked to respond to a UN expert saying that the US is not doing enough, Biden said, “we’re pressing very hard on maximizing assistance coming in by every possible means.”
“More aid is getting in, but it’s not enough. And it’s imperative that Israel make this a priority…That’s what we’re – that’s what we’re telling Israel. That’s a big part of our focus, and it’s a focus of my trip as well,” the US secretary of state added.
Blinken’s visit to the region comes as mediators met for a third day on Wednesday in Qatar to secure a ceasefire.
Asked whether an agreement is possible, considering “negotiators and mediators in Qatar were saying that Netanyahu didn’t give any mandate to his negotiation team in Doha to make … a deal”, Blinken said: “I can tell you that no, absolutely, the Israeli team is present, has authority to reach an agreement. A very strong proposal was put on the table, and we have to see if Hamas can say yes to the proposal.”
Speaking from Beiru on Wednesday, however, top Hamas official in Lebanon Osama Hamdan said that the Israeli response to the demands of the Resistance was a ‘negative response in general’, though he didn’t indicate that the negotiations had ended.
‘Comprehensive Vision’ – Osama Hamdan on Israel’s Response to Gaza Ceasefire Proposals
Governance and Security
Blinken met with Saudi Foreign Minister Prince Faisal bin Farhan and then held talks with Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman soon after arriving in Saudi. He also met with Egyptian President Abdel Fattah El-Sisi on Thursday and will reportedly be in Israel on Friday.
On the issue of “governance, security and the aid in post-war Gaza,” Blinken said that “this is a very important question to resolve” which has to be “consistent with Israel’s ability to defend itself.”
“We would like to see, ultimately, unified governance between Gaza and the West Bank with a revitalized Palestinian Authority in the lead,” he said.
“We can’t have Hamas in charge of Gaza. So we have to make sure that there’s a plan for security,” Blinken stressed.
Close to 32,000 Killed
Currently on trial before the International Court of Justice for genocide against Palestinians, Israel has been waging a devastating war on Gaza since October 7.
According to Gaza’s Ministry of Health, 31,988 Palestinians have been killed, and 74,188 wounded in Israel’s ongoing genocide in Gaza starting on October 7.
Moreover, at least 7,000 people are unaccounted for, presumed dead under the rubble of their homes throughout the Strip.
Palestinian and international organizations say that the majority of those killed and wounded are women and children.
The Israeli aggression has also resulted in the forceful displacement of nearly two million people from all over the Gaza Strip, with the vast majority of the displaced forced into the densely crowded southern city of Rafah near the border with Egypt – in what has become Palestine’s largest mass exodus since the 1948 Nakba.
Israel says that 1,200 soldiers and civilians were killed during the Al-Aqsa Flood Operation on October 7. Israeli media published reports suggesting that many Israelis were killed on that day by ‘friendly fire.’
(The Palestine Chronicle)
America’s draft resolution, is no better than the toilet paper that one would use to wipe his or her ass with. The world, not including Big Satan (USA) and Little Satan (Israel), demands an immediate, permanent ceasefire in Gaza without conditions, which therefore translates to an immediate end to Israel’s holocaust against the civilians of Gaza.
Not right to exclude Hamas in the political solution of this war. History tells us that this didn’t start last October 7 but way back 1948 when these Satan and Nazi Holocaust descendants descended on the hapless and welcoming them Palestinians with sinister motive to drive them and cleansed them away from their homeland, loot and stole their properties. USA should stop qualifying on their supposed draft ceasefire proposal with condition of outlawing Hamas in the political solution to a Palestinian State. Hamas is on fact the present genuine face of the Palestinian Resistance.