US warns against Israeli assault on Rafah in draft UN Security Council text

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The United States proposed a U.N. Security Council resolution warning against an Israeli assault on Rafah in the southern Gaza Strip and calling for a temporary cease-fire, according to a copy of the draft text seen by Bloomberg.
 
 A major offensive in Rafah “would result in further harm to civilians and their further displacement including potentially into neighboring countries, which would have serious implications for regional peace and security,
 
” the text says. The U.S. has so far been reluctant to back cease-fire proposals in the four-month old conflict. But frustration has grown with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who has signaled he would move ahead with a full-scale invasion of the city despite demands from U.S. President Joe Biden and European leaders to first establish a plan to ensure the safety of civilians. Rafah’s population has swelled from some 250,000 to more than 1 million as Palestinians from across the territory seek refuge there. The U.N.’s Under-Secretary General for Humanitarian Affairs and Emergency Relief Coordinator Martin Griffiths said last week an invasion would be “catastrophic.”
 
 The draft proposal follows previous signals from the U.S., which holds council veto power, that it would likely block a push from Algeria demanding an immediate humanitarian cease-fire, saying this could jeopardize ongoing negotiations for a pause in the war. That vote could come as soon as Tuesday.
 
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