The United States circulated a U.N. resolution Thursday condemning the terrorist group Hamas, which rules the Gaza Strip, "for repeatedly firing rockets into Israel and for inciting violence" that puts civilians at risk.
The draft General Assembly resolution, obtained by The Associated Press, "demands that Hamas and other militant actors, including Palestinian Islamic Jihad, cease their activity," including the recently adopted practice of launching "airborne incendiary devices."
The resolution, which would not be legally binding, was circulated as the 193-member world body was preparing to vote on four pro-Palestinian resolutions. The U.S. mission said it expects a vote on the Hamas resolution as early as Monday.
If adopted, it would be the first resolution condemning Hamas, which has controlled the Gaza Strip since 2007.
Outgoing U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Nikki Haley has repeatedly accused the United Nations of anti-Israel bias, citing the General Assembly's annual adoption of numerous resolutions supporting the Palestinians. In June, the U.S. withdrew from the Geneva-based Human Rights Council over the body's longstanding bias against Israel.
In June, Haley also sought to amend an Arab-backed General Assembly resolution blaming Israel for violence in Gaza and deploring its "excessive use of force" by adding a condemnation of Hamas attacks on Israel. The amendment was approved by a 62-58 vote, with 42 abstentions, but it failed because this was below the two-thirds majority needed.
The resolution was later approved by a vote of 120-8 with 45 abstentions.
The latest draft resolution on Hamas does not include references to previous Security Council resolutions sought by some European Union members that call for a two-state solution to the Israeli-Palestinian conflict and criticize Israel, including for settlement building.
But the U.S. draft does reaffirm support "for a just, lasting and comprehensive peace between Israelis and Palestinians, in accordance with international law, and bearing in mind relevant U.N. resolutions."
Sweden's U.N. ambassador, Olof Skoog, told reporters earlier Thursday: "We don't mind condemning Hamas. They deserve to be condemned."
But he said that "we also need to be very careful" that Security Council or General Assembly resolutions "always stress the fact that there needs to be a two-state solution."
Whether the final U.S. draft will get support of the 28 EU nations remains to be seen, but one well-informed EU diplomat, who was not authorized to speak publicly, said its members would support it.
The draft resolution says violence against civilians, "particularly acts of terror, as well as all acts of provocation, incitement and destruction, only serve to erode trust and hinder efforts to bring about a peaceful solution."
It also condemns Hamas for using resources that could go to meeting "critical needs of civilians" to instead construct tunnels used to infiltrate Israel and for equipment to launch rockets into civilian areas.
The proposed resolution calls on all parties to respect international human rights and humanitarian law including on protecting civilians and to halt intimidation and violence against medical and humanitarian personnel.
It encourages reconciliation of rival Palestinian groups "and concrete steps to reunite the Gaza Strip and the West Bank under the Palestinian Authority."
It also urges U.N. Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and Middle East Special Coordinator Nickolay Mladenov to help "de-escalate the situation and address urgent infrastructure, humanitarian, and economic development needs."
On Tuesday, Palestinian Ambassador to the U.N. Riyad Mansour called the proposed U.S. resolution a continuation of the "attack against the Palestinian people."
He cited the Trump administration's decision last December to recognize Jerusalem as Israel's capital, ignoring the Palestinians' demand that east Jerusalem be the capital of its future state, as well as the cutoff of U.S. funding for the Palestinian refugee agency, UNRWA, and closing of the Palestine Liberation Office in Washington.
Israeli Ambassador to the U.N. Danny Danon told reporters Tuesday that "the fact that people discuss Hamas in the U.N. is a win-win."
Danon addressed the General Assembly on Thursday, as the body marked the 71st anniversary of the historic U.N. partition vote to pass a series of anti-Israel resolutions.
Danon presented three conditions that Israel is demanding of the Palestinians in an effort to usher in a new era in Israeli-Palestinian relations: that they recognize Israel as a Jewish state; stop payments to terrorists and their families and stop educating children to hate Israel; and elect a government that is committed to working on behalf of the Palestinian people.
"Only when these conditions are met can we continue forward in the region," Danon said.
