The United States circulated a new draft UN Security Council resolution on Sunday, urging Hamas to agree to the hostage and ceasefire deal recently proposed by President Joe Biden, according to Barak Ravid of Axios.
Sources with direct knowledge indicated that a vote on this resolution is anticipated on Monday, Ravid reported.
The resolution, as per Ravid’s report, expresses that the Security Council “welcomes the new ceasefire proposal announced on May 31, which Israel accepted, calls upon Hamas to also accept it, and urges both parties to fully implement its terms without delay and without condition.”
Additionally, the resolution highlights that the Security Council “stresses the importance of the parties adhering to the terms of this proposal once agreed and calls upon all Member States and the United Nations to support its implementation.”
The United States first submitted this resolution to the UN Security Council last week.
Israel reportedly opposed the initial draft of the resolution, arguing that it did not fully align with the Israeli offer and could potentially lead to an end to the conflict without the option to resume if necessary.
Biden’s proposal outlines a three-phase process, with the first phase lasting six weeks. This phase includes a comprehensive ceasefire, the withdrawal of Israeli forces from all populated areas in Gaza, and the release of certain hostages, such as women, the elderly, and the wounded, in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian Arab prisoners.
In the second phase, all remaining living hostages would be released. The third phase involves “a major reconstruction plan for Gaza,” according to Biden, as well as the return of the remains of deceased hostages to their families.
White House national security spokesman John Kirby clarified last Monday that Biden’s proposal was indeed an Israeli initiative.
“I’ve heard different statements coming out of Israel,” Kirby said, emphasizing that Biden’s proposal “accurately reflects that proposal that we worked with the Israelis on.”
Kirby’s comments followed a discussion by Netanyahu in the Knesset Foreign Affairs and Defense Committee, where he addressed the deal proposed by Biden.
“I will not be ready to stop the war. Despite what President Biden said, it has not yet been agreed how many hostages will be released in the first phase. We can stop the fighting for 42 days in order to return the hostages. We cannot stop the war. The Iranians and all our enemies are looking at us, and want to see if we surrender,” stressed the Prime Minister.
Netanyahu also noted, “there are many more details in the deal and the war will not end without achieving all of our objectives. Don’t pay attention to the publications, there’s a lot of fake news going around. We will not give up on total victory.”
{Matzav.com}
