The U.S. urges the UN Security Council to condemn the Rafah assault and support a temporary ceasefire in Gaza.

An alternative draft United Nations Security Council resolution has been proposed by the United States, which calls for a temporary ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war and opposes a major Israeli ground offensive in Rafah in southern Gaza, according to a text seen by Reuters on Monday.

The U.S. draft text mirrors the language used by President Joe Biden in his discussions with Israel's Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu regarding the Israel-Hamas war, despite Washington's reluctance to use the term "ceasefire" in any U.N. action on the conflict.

The U.S. draft text states that a major ground offensive into Rafah would cause additional harm to civilians and their displacement, possibly into neighboring countries.

Gaza's humanitarian crisis may worsen if Israel carries out a storming of Rafah, where over 1 million of Gaza's 2.3 million residents have taken refuge. This has prompted international concern.

The proposed ground offensive would have severe consequences for regional peace and security, highlighting the need for caution before proceeding.

The 15-member council may or may not vote on the draft resolution, as it is not yet clear when it will be presented. In order for the resolution to be adopted, it must receive at least nine votes in favor and no vetoes from the United States, France, Britain, Russia, or China.

On Saturday, the U.S. presented its text to the council after Algeria requested a vote on Tuesday on its draft resolution demanding an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the Israel-Hamas war. U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield immediately signaled that it would be vetoed.

Rejects buffer zone

An initial draft resolution was presented by Algeria more than two weeks ago, but Thomas-Greenfield stated that the text could jeopardize "sensitive negotiations" on hostages. The U.S., Egypt, Israel, and Qatar are currently seeking to negotiate a pause in the war and the release of hostages held by Hamas.

Washington has traditionally protected its ally Israel from U.N. action by vetoing council resolutions, but it has also abstained twice, allowing the council to adopt resolutions aimed at increasing aid to Gaza and calling for humanitarian pauses in fighting.

The proposed U.S. text would oppose the views of some Israeli government officials who advocate for Jewish settlers to relocate to Gaza and would reject any efforts to alter the demographic or territorial status of Gaza in violation of international law.

The resolution would reject any actions that reduce the territory of Gaza, either temporarily or permanently, including the establishment of buffer zones and the widespread, systematic demolition of civilian infrastructure.

According to Reuters, in December, Israel informed several Arab states that it plans to establish a buffer zone within Gaza's borders to prevent attacks as part of its proposals for the region following the war.

On Oct. 7, Hamas militants in Gaza launched an attack on Israel, resulting in the deaths of 1,200 people and the capture of 253 hostages, according to Israeli estimates. In response, Israel launched a military operation in Gaza that has resulted in the deaths of more than 28,000 Palestinians, with thousands of bodies feared missing amid the rubble.

In December, over three-quarters of the 193-member U.N. General Assembly passed a resolution calling for an immediate humanitarian ceasefire in the war. While General Assembly resolutions are not legally binding, they carry significant political weight and represent a global consensus on the conflict.

The U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres has long advocated for a humanitarian ceasefire in Gaza. Last week, U.N. aid chief Martin Griffith cautioned that military operations in Rafah could result in a massacre.