UNSC backs Israel-Gaza ceasefire plan outlined by US; Hamas welcomes proposal

The UN Security Council has backed a ceasefire proposal between Israel and Hamas outlined by US President Joe Biden, urging the terror group to accept the deal which it did hours later.

The proposal has also been welcomed by Hamas’ ally the Islamic Jihad group and the Palestinian authority. The Palestinian terror group released a statement saying  that it is ready to cooperate with mediators over implementing the principles of the plan “that are consistent with the demands of our people and resistance.”

“Hamas welcomes what is included in the Security Council resolution that affirmed the permanent ceasefire in Gaza, the complete withdrawal, the prisoners’ exchange, the reconstruction, the return of the displaced to their areas of residence, the rejection of any demographic change or reduction in the area of the Gaza Strip, and the delivery of needed aid to our people in the Strip,” Hamas said in a statement.

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What does the deal say?

The deal, drafted by Biden, envisions a stage-wise ceasefire ultimately leading to a permanent end to the war. However, Israel has said that it will only end the war when Hamas is completely defeated, therefore keeping the possibility of a temporary ceasefire open.

Israel’s UN Ambassador Gilad Erdan was present for the vote but did not address the council. Instead, senior Israeli UN diplomat Reut Shapir Ben Naftaly told the body that Israel’s goals in Gaza had always been clear.

“Israel is committed to these goals - to free all the hostages, to destroy Hamas’ military and governing capabilities and to ensure that Gaza does not pose a threat to Israel in the future,” she said. “It is Hamas that is preventing this war from ending. Hamas and Hamas alone.”

Who voted in favour and who abstained?

The ceasefire draft received both backing and resistance among the members of the UNSC.

While the proposal was accepted by Hamas and Palestine Islamic Jihad who reacted “positively” to what it had to offer, the deal faced opposition from Russia which abstained from voting.

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Russia’s U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia asked what Israel had specifically agreed to and said the Security Council should not be signing up to agreements with “vague parameters.”

“We did not wish to block the resolution simply because it, as much as we understand, is supported by the Arab world,” Nebenzia told the council.

With inputs from agencies