To pass in the Security Council, a resolution needs at least nine affirmative votes and no vetoes from the US, France, Britain, Russia or China.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Thursday he was confident talks in Qatar, which focused on a six-week ceasefire and the release of 40 Israeli hostages and hundreds of jailed Palestinians, could still reach an agreement.
Blinken traveled to Israel on Friday (22 March) to urge a ceasefire in Gaza, ahead of a crucial vote at the UN Security Council.
After talks in Saudi Arabia and Egypt, Blinken flew to Israel on Friday, his sixth trip to the region since the war began with Hamas’ attack on Israel on October 7.
Fighting in Gaza this week centered around Al-Shifa hospital, the largest of the besieged areas, and Israel also vowed to launch a new ground offensive in overcrowded Rafah in the south.
Israel said its spy chief would also return to Qatar on Friday for further ceasefire talks with US, Egyptian and Qatari mediators who are trying to negotiate a six-week pause.
The talks centered on efforts to reach a ceasefire deal, which hinges on the release of hostages held by Hamas militants in exchange for Palestinian prisoners held by Israel and sending more aid to Gaza, where famine threatens its 2.4 million residents.
Blinken told reporters in Cairo on Thursday that “the gap is narrowing” and that the United States “continues to push for a deal in Doha.”
“It’s difficult to achieve, but I believe it’s still possible,” Blinken said.
He warned that an Israeli ground attack on Rafah, Gaza’s southernmost city where some 1.5 million people are confined to the Egyptian border, would be “a mistake”.
“There is no place for civilians gathered in Rafah to escape harm,” Blinken said.
“There are better ways to deal with the threat posed by Hamas.”
The main sticking point in the ceasefire process in Gaza is that Hamas says it will release hostages only as part of a deal that would end the war, while Israel says it will only discuss a temporary pause.
The US wants Security Council support for a ceasefire linked to the release of hostages held by Hamas in Gaza. Hamas attacked Israel on October 7, killing 1,200 people and taking 253 hostages, according to an Israeli tally. Israeli attacks have killed nearly 32,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities.
The resolution is also intended to channel humanitarian aid to Gaza, where severe hunger is worsening.
During the war, Washington had vetoed three draft resolutions, two of which demanded an immediate ceasefire. Recently, the US justified its veto by saying the council’s action could jeopardize ceasefire talks.
The US has traditionally protected Israel at the UN. But the US has also abstained twice, allowing the UNSC to adopt a resolution on increasing aid and calling for an extended pause in fighting.
