The United States has prepared its own draft outline for a UN resolution demanding a ceasefire between in Gaza, Reuters reported on Monday. Diplomats told the news agency that Washington is now working with European powers and Jordan on a joint text for the resolution. U.S. officials and diplomats from other UN member states said that Washington had presented a small group of countries with its own draft elements for a Security Council resolution after Jordan offered one last month and Britain, France and Germany wrote another ceasefire proposal last week. "The U.S. has come up with its own draft," said one UN diplomat, who declined to be named. "It's quite different from the two others. Now they're working to combine the drafts and come up with a common text." The U.S. officials and other diplomats declined to speak about details in the U.S. draft, though several said it was not acceptable on its own. "We'll work on coming up with a single draft," another UN diplomat said, according to Reuters . "What's important is that the Americans are engaging and there's a new momentum in pushing for a ceasefire resolution in the Security Council that would be better than previous ones." An Israeli official said "this is still under negotiation" and that there was no draft ready yet for the Security Council. Diplomats said Israel received the draft over the weekend. Egypt is also being consulted. UN diplomats said Washington and Israel appeared increasingly open to the idea of the council demanding a ceasefire. Last week, the Security Council urged Israel and the Palestinian Arabs to return to the negotiating table to quickly agree on a lasting truce in Gaza. The 15-member council "offered full support to the Egyptian initiative and called upon the parties to resume negotiations to urgently reach a sustainable and lasting ceasefire." News of Washington’s resolution comes amid reports that Egypt is offering Hamas and Israel a new, month-long ceasefire, but Israel has yet to agree.
