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Gaza Ceasefire Over, UNSC Agrees "Press Elements," Jordan Draft Pends

By Matthew Russell Lee

UNITED NATIONS, August 20, more here -- After the most recent Gaza ceasefire ended, on August 20 the UN Security Council's members agreed to "elements to the press," which UK Ambassador Mark Lyall Grant read-out at 6 pm:

"The member of the Security Council expressed grave concern at the return to hostilities following the breach of the Egyptian-brokered humanitarian ceasefire. They called upon the parties to prevent the situation from escalating and to reach an immediate humanitarian ceasefire. The members of Security Council expressed grave concern regarding the loss of civilian lives and casualties. The members of the Security Council offered full support to the Egyptian initiative and called upon parties to resume negotiations to urgently reach a sustainable and lasting ceasefire.”

   Inner City Press asked Lyall Grant, what about the pending draft resolution? He said there was a need to respond quickly to the breakdown of the ceasefire, but "there is a second stage." He mentioned the Jordanian draft and some "other ideas" which he said were discussed at the Council's lunch with Secretary General Ban Ki-moon earlier in the day. From the transcript:

Inner City Press: On Gaza, can you say what the status of the long-ending draft resolution is? And how that might relate to that matter. I have a DRC question?
 
Amb Lyall Grant: Well I think it is a two stage process. The urgency today was to respond to the fact that the talks  appeared to be breaking down and there has been a resumption of hostilities and it was important for the Security Council to respond quickly to that, hence the agreed press elements.
 
There is a second stage also to that, And we have been discussing with a number of different member states of the Security Council which is around a Security Council resolution around on a sustainable ceasefire. As you know there is a Jordanian draft on the table, and there are a number of other ideas that are being discussed. And they were discussed over lunch today between the Security Council and the Secretary-General.

  Minutes later Inner City Press asked the Permanent Observer of the State of Palestine Riyad Mansour why the Jordanian draft is not put to a vote. He said that some members wanted to wait and see what happens in Cairo. Afterward the Permanent Representative of a major Muslim country came and told Inner City Press of growing frustration at the Security Council's process - and at the Secretary General.

 Agence France Presse, purporting an info-graphic of journalists killed last year, listed four as killed "in Gaza." Since all other listed jurisdiction are full UN member states, some surmised AFP's nomenclature let off the hook the killer of those journalists. Despite calling it social media, hours later AFP has not responded.

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