UN Security Council Adopts Gaza Ceasefire Resolution

The US claims Israel has accepted the proposal, but Netanyahu continues to reject the idea of a permanent ceasefire

On Monday, the UN Security Council adopted a US-drafted ceasefire resolution for Gaza based on a proposal recently outlined by President Biden. Fourteen members of the 15-member body voted in favor, and Russia abstained.

The US claims Israel has accepted the proposal, but Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has publicly rejected it and continues to rule out the idea of a permanent ceasefire. Russia said it couldn’t support the resolution because it wasn’t clear what Israel had agreed on and that the language was too “vague.”

While Hamas hasn’t formally responded to President Biden’s proposal, it welcomed the ceasefire resolution and released a statement showing strong support. The Palestinian group said it was ready to “enter into indirect negotiations on the implementation of these principles.”

The resolution outlines a three-phase deal. The first phase includes an “immediate, full, and complete ceasefire with the release of hostages including women, the elderly, and the wounded, the return of the remains of some hostages who have been killed, and the exchange of Palestinian prisoners.”

The first phase would also involve an Israeli withdrawal from densely populated areas of Gaza, the return of displaced Palestinians, and a significant increase in humanitarian aid.

The two sides are supposed to negotiate a permanent ceasefire during the first phase, and the second phase would see a permanent end to hostilities “in exchange for the release of all other hostages still in Gaza, and a full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.” The third phase would start “a major multi-year reconstruction plan for Gaza, and the remains of any Israelis in Gaza would be returned to Israel.

The resolution calls on Israel and Hamas to implement the deal “without delay and without condition.” US officials are claiming Hamas is the only thing standing in the way of a deal despite Netanyahu reaffirming his opposition to a permanent ceasefire.

“My message to governments throughout the region, to people throughout the region, is – if you want a ceasefire, press Hamas to say ‘yes,'” Secretary of State Antony Blinken told reporters during a visit in Cairo.

US officials told NBC News that the Israeli operation in Nuseirat that killed over 200 Palestinians and freed four Israeli hostages makes a ceasefire deal less likely since it has emboldened Netanyahu. While claiming it has been pushing for a ceasefire, the US supported the massacre by providing intelligence.

Author: Dave DeCamp

Dave DeCamp is the news editor of Antiwar.com, follow him on Twitter @decampdave.