Aftermath of an Israeli strike, amid the Israel-Hamas conflict, in Deir Al-Balah.
Credit: Reuters Photo
The UN Security Council on Monday adopted a US-backed cease-fire plan for the Gaza Strip after diplomats persuaded Russia not to block it.
Fourteen of the 15 council members voted in favor, with Russia — which has veto power — abstaining.
In passing the resolution, the council delivered a diplomatic victory to Washington, which had vetoed three previous cease-fire resolutions before the council.
The resolution laid out a three-phase plan that begins with an immediate cease-fire, the release of all hostages in exchange for Palestinians being held in Israeli prisons, the return of displaced Gaza civilians to their homes and the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.
The second phase calls for a permanent cease-fire with the agreement of both parties, and the third phase would consist of a multiyear reconstruction plan for Gaza and return of the remains of deceased hostages.
“The proposal says if the negotiations take longer than six weeks for phase one, the cease-fire will still continue as long as negotiations continue,” the resolution said. It also rejected “any attempt at demographic or territorial change in the Gaza Strip, including any actions that reduce the territory of Gaza.”
The American Mission to the United Nations began drafting the resolution and negotiating over it in the days after President Joe Biden announced May 31 that Israel had put forth a cease-fire deal. The resolution follows the same framework that Biden set out, according to Nate Evans the spokesperson for the US mission.
“This deal is how we will achieve the cease-fire with the release of hostages,” said Evans. “Israel has accepted the deal. Now it’s time for Hamas to do it.”
Israeli officials have not publicly endorsed the cease-fire plan, and they have not said whether they would abide by the deal if Hamas accepts it. A day after Biden’s announcement, the office of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu issued a statement that appeared to undercut the proposal, calling a permanent cease-fire a “nonstarter.”
Diplomats said that during negotiations, the United States asked Security Council members to take its word that Israel was on board, and refused to incorporate clear language in the text that Israel accept the deal.
The draft resolution states only that Israel has accepted the U.S. proposal, but it “calls” for Hamas to accept the deal. Russia, China and Algeria, the only Arab member of the Security Council, had said in back-channel negotiations that the text appeared too lopsided in favor of Israel.
Since the war started eight months ago, the Security Council has been in a deadlock over finding a way to end the conflict and fulfill its mandate to uphold international peace and stability.
The United States vetoed three resolutions calling for a cease-fire. In March, after the U.S. abstained, the council passed a resolution calling for a humanitarian cease-fire and more desperately needed aid to be allowed into Gaza during Ramadan.
Neither of the parties have abided by that resolution.