The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has finally agreed on something related to Gaza. On Monday it adopted a US-proposed resolution which gives formal backing to an Israel-Hamas ceasefire plan.
Fourteen council members voted in favor, Russia abstained, and there were no votes against, allowing it to pass. The draft resolution welcomes the new ceasefire deal currently set before both sides, "which Israel accepted, calls upon Hamas to also accept it, and urges both parties to fully implement its terms without delay and without condition."
NEW: Today, the UN Security Council sent a clear message to Hamas:
— Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield (@USAmbUN) June 10, 2024
Accept the ceasefire-hostage deal on the table.
Israel has already accepted this deal.
The fighting could stop today – and hostages could come home today – if Hamas agreed to the deal.
Washington immediately began using the UNSC vote to add pressure on Hamas, at a moment Secretary of State Antony Blinken is touring the Middle East in an effort to get all parties to back the ceasefire plan. But crucially Hamas has faulted the Israeli side while holding firm to its longtime demand of a full IDF military withdrawal from the Gaza Strip.
"We’re waiting on Hamas to agree to the ceasefire deal it claims to want," US Ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield told the security council. “With every passing day, needless suffering continues.”
The newly adopted UN resolution stipulates that "if the negotiations take longer than six weeks for phase one, the ceasefire will still continue as long as negotiations continue."
The US-backed plan which Biden has also controversially referred to as Israeli-proposed (despite the Netanyahu government having criticized it as "incomplete"), lays out three phases. The below outlines these proposed stages...
First Stage
This stage reportedly includes:
Second Stage
During this stage, the following actions will take place, according to the document:
Third Stage
During this stage, the following actions will take place, according to the document:
Meanwhile both warring sides have continued to blame the other for blocking finalization of a ceasefire deal. Hamas says Israeli leaders don't actually want a truce, and Israeli says it is Hamas thwarting the possibility of peace.
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