The United Nations Security Council will finally hold a meeting on May 16 to discuss the conflict between Israel and Palestine after apparent U.S. opposition has been overcome. U.S. Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield, confirming yesterday that there would be a UNSC meeting, commented only that, “The U.S. will continue to actively engage in diplomacy at the highest levels to try to de-escalate tensions.”
Nothing has been heard from Deputy Assistant Secretary of State Hady Amr who was dispatched to the region by Secretary of State Antony Blinken. There has been nothing useful to “de-escalate tensions” by President Joe Biden. Israel is not known for responding to UN Security Council resolutions, but does respond when the United States puts on the necessary pressure.
Unfortunately the effort by Egyptian mediators failed to arrange a ceasefire, after visits to Gaza and Tel Aviv. The delegation has departed the region, with no success. TASS, citing an unnamed Egyptian official, quoted him saying that, “so far, it seems that this initiative has no prospects. At first, we discussed three hours of a humanitarian ceasefire, then six, but it was all left without a response.” The official further stated: “The Palestinian resistance demands that Israel halt aggressive action in East Jerusalem. For its part, Israel is simply refusing to respond to initiatives and to calls for a ceasefire. Thus, the Egyptian delegation was forced to leave Tel Aviv.”
