Image source, Getty Images
- author, Anna Faji
- Role, BBC News, Washington
-
The United Nations Security Council voted in favor of the ceasefire plan proposed by the United States between Israel and the Gaza Strip.
The proposal sets conditions for a “complete and complete ceasefire,” the release of hostages held by Hamas, the return of the remains of dead hostages, and the exchange of Palestinian prisoners.
14 of the 15 Security Council members voted in favor of the resolution drafted by the United States. Russia abstained from voting.
The resolution states that Israel has accepted the ceasefire proposal, and urges Hamas to agree to it as well.
This means that the Security Council joins a number of governments, in addition to the G7, which includes the world’s richest countries, in supporting the three-part plan unveiled by President Joe Biden on May 31.
The vote is likely to increase pressure on both sides to respond positively to the plan with the aim of ending the conflict. It also came shortly after US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with foreign leaders, including Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, in an attempt to rally support for the peace deal.
Blinken said his message to leaders in the region is: “If you want a ceasefire, put pressure on Hamas to say yes.”
The proposal ends with a grand plan to rebuild Gaza, which was largely destroyed in the conflict.
The first phase concerns the exchange of hostages and prisoners as well as a short-term ceasefire.
The second phase includes a “permanent cessation of hostilities,” as well as a complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, according to the text of the American draft resolution.
The third phase focuses on the long-term prospects of the Strip, and will begin a multi-year reconstruction plan in Gaza.
Monday’s decision comes weeks after President Biden announced that the Israelis had approved the plan.
But Netanyahu did not support the American proposal.
Hamas is likely to demand guarantees that the plan will lead to a permanent ceasefire and a complete Israeli withdrawal from the Gaza Strip. Its political leadership in Doha has not yet formally responded to the proposal, according to US and Israeli officials, so it remains to be seen whether indirect negotiations can resume.
President Biden’s account on X, formerly Twitter, noted the passage of the resolution. “Hamas says it wants a ceasefire,” the post said. “This deal is an opportunity to prove they mean it.”
“Today we voted for peace,” said Linda Thomas-Greenfield, US Ambassador to the United Nations.
UK Ambassador Barbara Woodward described the situation in Gaza as “catastrophic,” adding that “the suffering has continued for a very long time.”
“We call on both parties to seize this opportunity and move toward a lasting peace that guarantees security and stability for the Israeli and Palestinian peoples,” Woodward said.
British Foreign Secretary David Cameron also welcomed the decision.
Although the United States has previously vetoed similar measures, it did not veto the March resolution.
Netanyahu said at the time that the United States had “abandoned” its previous position linking the ceasefire to the release of the hostages.
The conflict began when Hamas attacked southern Israel on October 7, killing about 1,200 people and taking about 251 hostage.
The Hamas-run Health Ministry says the death toll in Gaza has exceeded 37,000 since Israel responded to its attack.
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