The resolution was passed with 14 votes in favor, 0 against, and 1 abstention as Russia did not use its veto.
 "UN Security Council approves US-draft proposal supporting Gaza ceasefire")
(Photo: Bloomberg) ANI US
As the war between Israel and Hamas enters its eighth month and tensions rise in West Asia, the United Nations Security Council on Monday (local time) adopted a US-proposed resolution for a permanent ceasefire and the release of hostages in Gaza.
The U.S.-drafted document, released by President Joe Biden on May 31, calls for Hamas to accept a ceasefire proposal that Israel has already accepted.
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It is noteworthy that the resolution was adopted with 14 votes in favor, 0 against, and 1 abstention as Russia chose not to use its veto.
According to UN News, the adopted resolution aims to reach a comprehensive ceasefire agreement in three phases.
The first phase calls for “an immediate and complete ceasefire, including the release of hostages, including women, elderly and wounded, the return of the bodies of those killed, and the exchange of Palestinian prisoners.”
The statement demands that Israeli forces withdraw from “densely populated areas” of the Gaza Strip, that Palestinians be allowed to return to their homes and communities anywhere in the Gaza Strip, including in the north, and that humanitarian aid be distributed widely and safely.
Meanwhile, the second phase would see a permanent end to hostilities “in exchange for the release of all other hostages remaining in Gaza and the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza,” UN News reported.
Meanwhile, the third phase will see the formulation of a “large-scale, multi-year reconstruction plan for the Gaza Strip,” and the return of the bodies of hostages remaining in the Gaza Strip to Israel.
President Biden described the agreement as “a lasting end to the war, not a necessarily fragile and temporary ceasefire.”
More importantly, he said, the terms of the agreement had been conveyed by Qatar to the Hamas leadership.
Meanwhile, US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said fighting could stop today if Hamas agrees to an agreement approved by the Security Council.
She argued that Hamas should now be clear that the international community is united behind an agreement “that will save the lives of Palestinian civilians in the Gaza Strip and help them begin to rebuild and heal; that will reunite hostages with their families after eight months of captivity.”
Ambassador Thomas-Greenfield said there was now a chance to get out of the situation and that the US would help Israel meet its responsibilities, but that would all be “conditional on Hamas accepting the agreement.”
The UN Security Council said in a resolution that it would not tolerate any attempt to effect demographic or territorial changes in the Gaza Strip, including any action that would reduce its territory.
It also reiterated the Security Council's “unwavering commitment” to the idea of ​​a two-state solution. “In this regard, we stress the importance of the integration of the Gaza Strip and the West Bank under the Palestinian Authority,” the resolution added.
The conflict in Gaza has intensified since a Hamas attack on October 7, which saw around 2,500 terrorists cross the Israeli border from the Gaza Strip, resulting in casualties and hostage taking.
Israel has since characterized its Gaza attacks as targeting Hamas infrastructure, with the goal of eliminating the terror group in its entirety while minimizing civilian casualties.
