Following the new ruling by the International Court of Justice on Feb. 15—citing “the most recent developments” around Rafah, and emphasizing to Israel that it “remains bound to fully comply with its obligations under the Genocide Convention … ensuring the safety and security of the Palestinians in the Gaza Strip"—Algeria has drafted a new resolution for the UN Security Council, demanding that an immediate humanitarian ceasefire must be respected by all parties, according to AFP yesterday. It also “rejects forced displacement of the Palestinian civilian population,” and it “demands the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.”
Algeria has requested a UN Security Council vote on Feb. 20, but Washington promptly signaled that it will veto the measure, should it not be withdrawn beforehand. U.S. Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield reasoned that Biden’s work with Netanyahu on a hostage deal would create a “prolonged pause in fighting” of about six weeks. Hence, the “resolution put forward in the Security Council, in contrast, would not achieve these outcomes, and indeed, may run counter to them. The United States does not support action on this draft resolution. Should it come up for a vote as drafted, it will not be adopted.”
