Resolutions rarely make it through the UN Security Council, but on Monday, a US-drafted resolution supporting Washington’s Gaza ceasefire plan was passed, urging Hamas to agree to it. The resolution, supported by 14 countries with Russia abstaining, endorsed the truce and the hostage release proposal put forth by President Joe Biden on May 31, and called for both parties to implement its terms promptly and unconditionally.
Nate Evans, the spokesperson for the U.S. mission to the United Nations, stated before the vote that the agreement would facilitate a cessation of hostilities, the release of several hostages, and a rapid increase in humanitarian aid, among other outcomes.
“Israel has accepted this proposal and the Security Council has an opportunity to speak with one voice and call on Hamas to do the same,” his statement continued. “Doing so would help save lives and the suffering of civilians in Gaza as well as the hostages and their families. Council Members should not let this opportunity to pass by and must speak with one voice in support of this deal.”
Contrary to previous versions, the resolution now indicates that Israel has “accepted” the ceasefire proposal and urges Hamas to follow suit. “This proposal represents our best chance at the moment to at least temporarily stop the fighting, allow more aid to come in, and secure the release of hostages,” stated Robert Wood, the deputy US ambassador to the UN.
“We want to put pressure to Hamas to accept this deal. So far it hasn’t accepted this deal. That’s why we to have this resolution, because we’re on a cusp of doing something really, really important.”
Hamas expressed approval of the resolution following the vote, indicating its readiness to collaborate with mediators on enacting the plan’s principles. Conversely, Israel voiced criticism of the proposal last week, which called for ceasing the war in return for freeing the captives, a position openly contested by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s administration.
On 31 May, Biden detailed what he said was a three-phase Israeli proposal for a hostage exchange and eventual permanent cessation of hostilities in Gaza. But achieving a ceasefire has been elusive for the US and mediators Qatar and Egypt.
Hamas has met the proposal with skepticism. Multiple reports from Arab media suggest that the text of the proposal, as received by Hamas, does not guarantee a permanent cessation of hostilities, contrary to President Biden’s description in his address. Although the US claims that Israel has endorsed Biden’s proposal, Prime Minister Netanyahu has repeatedly affirmed that Israel will continue its operations in Gaza until Hamas’s governance and military capabilities are completely dismantled.
Despite enduring eight months of Israeli bombardment, Hamas continues to put fighters in the field and reconstitute itself in areas of Gaza Israel has abandoned. Hamas is unlikely to agree to a hostage deal if it does not guarantee that there will be a permanent ceasefire in Gaza after.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, traveling in the region on Monday, blamed Hamas for the failure to reach a ceasefire in Gaza.
After meeting Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sisi in Cairo, Blinken said: “My message to governments throughout the region, to people throughout the region, is – if you want a ceasefire, press Hamas to say ‘yes’.”
The US has used its veto power at the UN to shield Israel from censure.
The US has cast three vetoes against calls for a ceasefire. Separately, Washington also blocked an amendment calling for a ceasefire that Russia had tried including on a Security Council resolution in December.
Amid tensions between the US and Israel over the latter’s conduct of its war on Gaza, the US has more recently signaled its frustration with Israel at the international body.
In March, the US abstained from a vote at the Security Council calling for an “immediate ceasefire” in Gaza during the Muslim holy month of Ramadan.
The Biden administration is at odds with Israel on a postwar plan for Gaza. For months, CIA director Bill Burns has been leading US efforts to secure a ceasefire deal between Israel and Hamas that could end the war and defuse regional tensions.
Secretary of State Blinken met with Israeli Prime Minister Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Monday, as the United States aimed to pressure both Hamas and Israel to agree to a cease-fire in Gaza. He reaffirmed the commitment of the United States and other global leaders to support President Biden’s proposal, which calls for an immediate cease-fire in Gaza, the release of all hostages, and a significant increase in humanitarian aid for the region.
According to a report from Al Jazeera, Hamas has confirmed “our willingness to work with our brothers the interlocutors to negotiate indirectly on how to implement these principles.” Meanwhile, it remains a developing story, and it is yet to be seen whether the U.N. resolution will be adhered to.
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