By Michelle Nichols
UNITED NATIONS (Reuters) – The United States has proposed a draft resolution to the U.N. Security Council asserting Israel’s right to self-defense and calling for Iran to halt the export of arms to “militias and terrorist groups that threaten peace and security in the region.”
The draft text, as seen by Reuters, emphasizes the importance of protecting civilians, including those seeking safety, and highlights the need for states to adhere to international law when responding to “terrorist attacks.” Additionally, it urges the continuous, sufficient, and unhindered delivery of aid to the Gaza Strip.
Currently, it remains unclear when or if the United States plans to bring the draft resolution to a vote. A resolution requires at least nine votes in favor and no vetoes from Russia, China, the United States, France, or Britain to pass.
This move follows the United States’ veto of a Brazilian-drafted resolution on Wednesday that called for humanitarian pauses in the Israeli-Palestinian conflict to allow aid access to Gaza.
U.S. Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield explained the veto by stating that more time was required for on-the-ground diplomacy as President Joe Biden and Secretary of State Antony Blinken focused on facilitating aid access to Gaza and securing the release of hostages held by Hamas.
Hamas released two American hostages on Friday, and the first humanitarian aid convoy arrived in Gaza from Egypt on Saturday.
Since Hamas militants breached the barrier fence around Gaza on October 7 and launched attacks on Israeli towns and kibbutzes, resulting in the deaths of 1,400 people, Israel has pledged to eliminate the Hamas Islamist group, ensuing airstrikes, imposing a siege, and preparing for a ground offensive. Palestinian authorities claim that over 4,000 individuals have been killed in the enclave, while the UN reports that over a million people have been displaced.
Unlike the previous resolution, the U.S. draft text does not call for a pause or truce in the fighting. Instead, it calls on all states to work together to prevent the “violence in Gaza from expanding to other areas in the region” and demands the immediate cessation of attacks by Hezbollah and other armed groups.
Hezbollah, a heavily armed group backed by Iran, has clashed with Israel multiple times across the Lebanese border since October 7, marking the deadliest confrontations since their month-long war in 2006.
One key element of the U.S. draft resolution is the demand for Iran to halt its arms export to groups that pose a threat to peace and security in the region, including Hamas. At the time of writing, Iran’s mission to the UN in New York has not issued a response.
Iran has openly supported Hamas by providing funding and arms to the group, as well as another Palestinian militant organization known as Islamic Jihad. On October 8, Iran’s mission to the UN denied any involvement in the previous day’s Hamas attack on Israel.
Regarding Israel’s right to self-defense, U.S. Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield expressed disappointment on Wednesday that the Brazilian resolution did not acknowledge this right. The U.S. text highlights that Israel has the legal right to self-defense under Article 51 of the UN Charter.
Article 51 covers the individual or collective right of states to defend themselves against armed attacks and requires immediate notification to the Security Council of any self-defense actions taken by states.
While Israel stated in a letter to the council on the day of the Hamas attack that it would “act in any way necessary to protect its citizens and sovereignty from the ongoing terrorist attacks originating from the Gaza Strip,” it does not seem to have formally invoked Article 51, according to diplomats.
Arab nations argue that Israel cannot justify its actions as self-defense.
“The Gaza Strip is an occupied territory,” said Jordan’s UN Ambassador Mahmoud Daifallah Hmoud, referring to a 2004 opinion by the International Court of Justice (ICJ) regarding an Israeli separation barrier constructed around the West Bank.
Speaking on behalf of the Arab group, Hmoud stated, “We recall the advisory opinion of the ICJ … according to which Israel does not have the right to defend itself within occupied Palestinian territory.”
In 2004, Israel declared that the barrier was built to prevent suicide bombers from entering its cities. However, the ICJ contended that the threat which prompted the construction of the wall originated within the territory itself, not outside of it.
Therefore, the ICJ ruled that Article 51 of the UN Charter was irrelevant in this case. Israel rejected the ruling of the ICJ.
(Reporting by Michelle Nichols; Editing by Chizu Nomiyama)
