A change in tone toward its Middle Eastern ally was seen Friday, when the United States put forward a resolution to recognize 'the imperative' of an 'immediate and sustained ceasefire.' That text was nevertheless blocked by Russia and China, which along with Arab states criticized it for stopping short of explicitly demanding 'Israel' halt its campaign in Gaza.

A new text, according to the version seen by AFP on Sunday evening, 'demands an immediate ceasefire' for the ongoing Muslim Holy Month of Ramadan, 'leading to a permanent sustainable ceasefire.' It also 'demands the immediate and unconditional release of all hostages' as well as 'the lifting of all barriers to the provision of humanitarian assistance at scale.' The resolution has been the work of the Council's non-permanent members, who negotiated with the United States over the weekend to avoid another veto, according to diplomatic sources who expressed a certain optimism at its passage.

'We expect, barring a last-minute twist, that the resolution will be adopted and that the United States will not vote against it,' one diplomat told AFP The United States has repeatedly blocked ceasefire resolutions as it supports 'Israel' with military aid.

Unlike Friday's text, the call for a ceasefire in the new resolution is not linked to ongoing talks, led by Qatar, the United States and Egypt.

'Israel' has criticized the Security Council for previous resolutions that have not specifically condemned Hamas.