The British newspaper The Guardian confirmed in a lengthy report that the United States allowing the ceasefire resolution to be passed at the United Nations was a clear warning to Israel that its policies no longer enjoy support as in the beginning.

The report explained that the United States, which was Israel's permanent shield in the United Nations, refused to use its veto, which allowed the Council's demand for an immediate truce to be passed, although it did not include any condemnation of the massacre committed by Hamas against the Israelis, which sparked the war.

It continued that the message was clear, and its content was that the administration of President Joe Biden is no longer willing to allow the credibility of the United States on the world stage to disappear by defending the Israeli government, which “did not heed its calls to stop bombing civilian areas and open the gates to humanitarian aid.”

The report added that the Palestinian envoy to the Security Council, Riyad Mansour, said about that moment, “This must be a turning point.” According to the Guardian, further evidence emerged in the next few days that the West was changing its position, at least in terms of its rhetoric.

A shift in discourse

On Tuesday, German Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock announced that Berlin would send a delegation to clearly remind Israel of its commitment to the Geneva Conventions, warning it not to go ahead with the planned attack on the city of Rafah, in the far south of the Gaza Strip. This is considered a noticeable change in tone from Germany, which was the second largest supporter and supplier of weapons to Israel.

Meanwhile, British Foreign Secretary David Cameron has been increasing his criticism of Israel – particularly for blocking aid from reaching Gaza – while at the same time being very careful to dodge answering questions about whether the Foreign Office now believes Benjamin Netanyahu's government is breaking the law. International Humanitarian.

The attempt to achieve this balance has created real and increasingly visible tensions within the British government and the Conservative Party.

This clear shift in international positions has not changed anything yet for the 2.3 million people trapped in Gaza, and the bombing and sniping have not stopped. Politicians may be recalibrating their calculations, but not quickly enough for those in the line of fire, the Guardian confirms.

The supply of weapons to Israel by the United States also continued. Four days after the issuance of the Security Council resolution, the Washington Post announced more US arms shipments, including 1,800 Mark 84 bombs that weigh 2,000 pounds, which are huge munitions that caused... Huge losses of life and property during the ongoing war on Gaza.

Ineffective threats

The Biden administration has made clear to its allies that threatening to stop arms supplies to Israel as a means of pressure is not on the table.

In Britain, there is a growing feeling that legal issues and issues related to arms sales cannot be avoided for much longer.

The Observer newspaper quoted the chair of the Conservative Foreign Affairs Committee, Alicia Cairns - a former employee at the Foreign Office and the Ministry of Defense - at a fundraising event for the Conservative Party, in which she said that the British Foreign Office was legally given advice stating that Israel had violated international humanitarian law, but the ministry chose not to publish it. on public.

The book indicated that Cameron evaded questions about whether he had seen such legal advice, while appearing before a parliamentary committee, saying, “I cannot remember every piece of paper that was put in front of me. I do not want to answer that question.”

The Guardian adds that, as is the case in the United States, the United Kingdom's tone may shift to a more critical tone toward Israel.

In contrast, Netanyahu continues to implement his own plans, as he has proven that he is able to withstand American and other international pressures, and in doing so he is supported by popular support, as the percentage of support for the war in Gaza currently stands at around 80%.

The Guardian adds that what is most worrying about Washington's hopes of containing the conflict is the presence of more than 70% of Israeli popular support for a large-scale military operation against Hezbollah in Lebanon, which Washington has so far been able to thwart.

Source: Guardian