By Janet Ekstract ISTANBUL-Over the weekend, U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield reiterated that if a resolution on Gaza is presented that the U.S. will veto it. On the eve of a new resolution on Gaza to be put to a vote on Tuesday at the U.N. Security Council (UNSC), tensions are running high as fear of a major ground assault on Rafah by Israel has sent chills through the Arab world and the international community. Algeria proposed a new resolution that calls for an “immediate humanitarian ceasefire.” Between Israel and Hamas as well as an “immediate and unconditional release of all hostages.” The U.N. chief, aid agencies and NGOs have all warned or a major catastrophe if Israel commits to a ground assault because there is no place for millions to go. Thomas-Greenfield said the new resolution might “run counter” to the goals she says can be reached through diplomacy between Israel and Hamas that Qatar and Egypt are currently mediating. The problem is that those talks have stalled and restarted a number of times with Israel rejecting several proposals Hamas put forth.
Meanwhile, a Palestinian delegation traveled to the Hague to the International Court of Justice (ICJ) to present evidence on Israel’s occupation and described Israel’s decades long occupation as “apartheid” and are calling for an “immediate and unconditional and total end” to occupation by Israel they said. The delegation also showed the court maps of how Israel has confiscated Palestinian land- saying “It’s kept our people out of their homes and of their land.” The delegation added that Netanyahu demonstrated that Israel has no intention to ever leave the land – explaining this is different from the case of genocide that South Africa filed against Israel to the ICJ in December. On February 19, Al -Jazeera reported that Israel struck deeper in Lebanon with the Israeli military carrying out strikes on what they claimed is a weapons storage facility belonging to Hezbollah. THe owner of that factory says his factory produces electric generators. The strike was carried out in response to an armed drone that struck in northern Israel .Hezbollah has said it will not halt fighting until Israel’s assault on Gaza ends. Al-Jazeera reported that the escalation on both sides is controlled, confining strikes to military installations but analysts and experts on the region fear the conflict could quickly spread further in the region.
