US Ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, said on Tuesday that the overall US goal in the Middle East is to "turn the temperature down," deter and defend against any future attacks, and avoid regional conflict.
Speaking at a UN Security Council meeting which dealt with the war in Gaza, Thomas-Greenfield added, "That starts with finalizing a deal for an immediate ceasefire with hostage release in Gaza. We need to get this over the finish line."
The US ambassador said that the United States “is deeply concerned about reports of civilian casualties following the August 10 strike by the IDF on the compound in Gaza that included a school and a mosque sheltering desperate, displaced people, including women and children.”
She also noted that “this much we do know and must be acknowledged: Hamas continues to gather and continues to operate out of schools, with no regard for the well-being of civilians.”
“The United States, alongside Qatar and Egypt, has worked tirelessly for months to forge the framework agreement on the table, with only the details of implementation to be concluded. A framework based on the principles endorsed by this Council in Resolution 2735. Simply put: the deal needs to get done now. Now,” said Thomas-Greenfield.
“We have called on both sides to resume urgent discussion on Thursday, August 15 in Doha or Cairo to close all remaining gaps and commence implementation of the deal without further delay. As mediators, we are prepared to present a final bridging proposal: one that resolves the remaining implementation issues in a manner that meets the expectations of all parties,” she added.
The US has been pushing a three-phase proposal for a ceasefire and hostage release deal which Biden outlined in late May.
Biden has indicated that both Israel and Hamas had agreed to the outline and reiterated his determination to implement the proposal, even though Hamas rejected the Biden outline shortly after he presented it.
Last week, Biden, Egyptian President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi and Qatari leader Sheikh Tamim bin Hamad Al Thani issued a joint statement urging Israel and Hamas to agree to a ceasefire and hostage release deal and calling for a summit to be held this Thursday.
While Israel said it would take part in the summit, Hamas announced on Sunday that it refuses to send representatives to the negotiations.