UNITED NATIONS – The United Nations Security Council adopted a US-drafted resolution on Monday, supporting President Joe Biden’s proposal for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.
Russia abstained from the vote, while the remaining 14 council members voted in favor. The US finalized the resolution text on Sunday after six days of negotiations among council members.
Biden proposed a three-phase ceasefire plan on May 31, described as an Israeli initiative. Some Security Council members questioned whether Israel had accepted the plan to end the Gaza fighting.
The resolution welcomes the new ceasefire proposal, “which Israel accepted, calls upon Hamas to also accept it, and urges both parties to fully implement its terms without delay and without condition.”
“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 council before the vote. “With every passing day, needless suffering continues.”
The resolution details the proposal, stating that “if the negotiations take longer than six weeks for phase one, the ceasefire will still continue as long as negotiations continue.”
In March, the council demanded an immediate ceasefire and the unconditional release of all hostages held by Hamas.
For months, negotiators from the US, Egypt, and Qatar have been trying to mediate a ceasefire. Hamas says it wants a permanent end to the war in the Gaza Strip and Israeli withdrawal from the enclave of 2.3 million people.
More than 1,200 people were killed and over 250 taken hostage by Hamas on Oct 7, according to Israeli tallies. Over 100 hostages are believed to remain captive in Gaza.
Israel launched an air, ground, and sea assault on the Palestinian territory, resulting in the deaths of more than 37,000 Palestinians, according to Gaza health authorities.
