Pro-Palestine protesters hold signs and chant slogans during City Council’s public comment session on Wednesday. Credit: Michael Karlis

The prospect of San Antonio City Council passing a ceasefire resolution in the Israel-Hamas conflict appears all but dead after two key council members this week said they have no interest in debating the matter.

On Wednesday, District 1 Councilwoman Sukh Kaur told the Express-News she won’t sign a memo calling for debate on a ceasefire resolution, explaining that “there is no direct outcome necessitated by the resolution.”

That same day, District 8’s Manny Pelaez told the Current there would “never” be a ceasefire  resolution.

Pelaez initially signed a memo calling for a special meeting to discuss such a measure, but he later pulled his support, effectively killing the debate. Pro-Palestinian activists had hoped to convince Kaur to replace Pelaez on the memo, proving the fourth signature needed to schedule the meeting.

However, Kaur’s comment suggests that option is now off the table.

Pelaez’s latest comment came after a closed-door San Antonio screening of graphic footage from the Oct. 7 attacks that terror group Hamas made on Israeli civilians. That bloodshed triggered Israel’s subsequent bombardment and invasion of the Gaza Strip.

The Jewish Federation of San Antonio and Israeli Consulate staged the screening at a confidential location. Mayor Ron Nirenberg, recently announced mayoral candidate District 9 Councilman John Courage and select business leaders and members of the media were also in attendance.

Even though there’s slim likelihood of a San Antonio ceasefire resolution, the White House is pressuring Israel to conclude military operation in Gaza.

President Joe Biden plans to issue an executive order sanctioning Israeli settlers accused of inciting violence in the Palestinian-controlled West Bank, according to Politico. The State Department also appears to be considering options to recognize a demilitarized Palestine as a sovereign state, Axios reports.

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This article appears in Jan 24 – Feb 6, 2024.

Michael Karlis is a multimedia journalist at the San Antonio Current, whose coverage in print and on social media focuses on local and state politics. He is a graduate of American University in Washington,...