The United Nations Security Council on Monday adopted a United States-drafted resolution welcoming the Gaza ceasefire proposal. The draft which 14 members of the council voted in favour, with Russia abstaining, proposed a 3-phase plan.
The first phase envisaged a six-week cessation in fighting and an Israeli withdrawal from populated areas of Gaza, allowing displaced Palestinians to return to their homes. There would be a surge in humanitarian aid, with around 600 trucks entering the enclave each day. Meanwhile, Hamas would release female, elderly and injured hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians being held in Israel.
In a second phase, all remaining hostages in Gaza, including male Israeli soldiers, would be released, while Israeli forces would withdraw from the entirety of the Gaza Strip. Ideally by this stage, according to President Biden, the temporary cease-fire would become a permanent cessation of hostilities.
Finally, phase three would see the start of a massive internationally-backed reconstruction plan for Gaza while any remains of hostages who have been killed would also be returned.
The resolution basically repeats Israel’s three-stage proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza, which US President Biden brought to the public. The resolution rejects any attempt at demographic or territorial change in the Gaza Strip, including any action that reduces the enclave’s territory.
Russian Ambassador to the UN Vassily Nebenzia said that Russia has many questions regarding the newly adopted US-drafted UN Security Council resolution which welcomes a Gaza ceasefire proposal whose details are not known to the public.
“We have a whole host of questions about the American draft resolution, whereby this Council welcomes some of the deal, the ultimate outlines of which are not known to anyone, perhaps, except the mediators,” Nebenzia said during a UN Security Council meeting on Palestine and Israel.
The Palestinian movement, Hamas on Monday welcomed the UN Security Council (UNSC) resolution calling for permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
“Hamas welcomes what was included in the Security Council resolution regarding a permanent ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, a complete withdrawal [of military forces] from the Gaza Strip, prisoner exchange, reconstruction, the return of displaced persons to their places of residence, the rejection of any demographic change in the Gaza Strip or reduction of its territory, and the provision of the necessary assistance to our people in the strip,” the movement said in a statement.