Thomas Warrick, a former official at the US State Department, said that the amendments made by the United States to the draft resolution on Gaza came as a result of two main factors: the first is related to the need to include formulations acceptable to the Israeli army, and the second aims to accommodate Arab and European concerns about the humanitarian situation in the sector.
Warwick explained, in statements to Cairo News Channel, that Washington resorted to using specific phrases that are consistent with the Israeli security position, including those related to Israel’s role in controlling the borders between Gaza and some other countries, which is an expression that – in his estimation – was necessary to ensure that the Israeli side would not object to the final text of the amendments.
He added that this path is accompanied by further clarifications regarding the mechanisms for humanitarian aid to enter the sector in a smoother and more effective manner.
The former US official pointed out that these new formulations also came to meet Arab demands, who felt that previous versions of the project did not reflect sufficient attention to humanitarian aspects, nor did they guarantee a regular and safe flow of aid to the residents of the sector.
He said that including those provisions would help reassure both Arab and European countries, especially after widespread criticism in recent times due to restrictions that prevented aid from reaching the most affected areas.
Warrick stressed that the essence of the amendments is to “create an environment capable of supporting the project that is to be discussed next week,” stressing that Washington’s main goal is to ensure a broader consensus on the next steps, including improving the humanitarian situation in Gaza, whose residents have suffered greatly in recent months, as he put it.
He stressed that introducing these amendments ultimately seeks to give the project greater international momentum and make its path more viable by taking into account the needs of the affected parties, foremost among them Palestinian civilians.
