What does the US ceasefire proposal backed by the UNSC entail?

The United Nations Security Council on Monday adopted a resolution backing the US-drafted Gaza ceasefire proposal put forth by US President Joe Biden, with 14 members voting in favor and Russia abstaining.

The ceasefire proposal, announced by Biden on May 31, outlines a new three-phase plan aimed at achieving “a lasting cessation of hostilities” in the Gaza Strip and the release of all captives held by Hamas.

But what exactly does the resolution entail?

Phase one

The initial phase calls for an immediate and comprehensive ceasefire, the release of captives including women, the elderly, and the wounded, the return of the remains of some deceased hostages, the exchange of Palestinian prisoners, and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from populated areas in Gaza.

This phase also includes the safe and efficient distribution of humanitarian aid across Gaza, ensuring that all Palestinian civilians in need receive assistance, including housing units provided by the international community.

Phase two

The second phase stipulates a permanent cessation of hostilities, conditional upon the mutual agreement of the Israeli occupation and the Palestinian Resistance. It includes the release of all remaining captives in Gaza and the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from the blockaded strip.

Phase three

The final phase focuses on initiating a major multi-year reconstruction plan for Gaza and returning the remains of any deceased captives still in Gaza to their families.

Continued negotiations

The UNSC resolution emphasizes that if negotiations for the first phase exceed six weeks, the ceasefire will remain in effect as long as talks continue. The United States, Egypt, and Qatar have expressed their readiness to ensure that negotiations persist until all agreements are reached and the second phase commences.

The resolution called on all UN member states to support the implementation of the ceasefire proposal once agreed upon. It underscores the importance of adhering to the proposal’s conditions and rejects any attempts to alter Gaza’s demographic or geographic status, including actions that might reduce its territory.

The US-drafted resolution stressed the need for peaceful coexistence between the Israeli occupation and occupied Palestine within secure and recognized borders.

This vision aligns with international law and relevant UN resolutions. The proposal also stresses the importance of unifying Gaza and the West Bank under Palestinian Authority governance.

Hamas welcomes proposal

The Resistance group emphasized its firm stance against any demographic changes or reduction in the area of the Gaza Strip and highlighted the need for essential aid to support the people in the territory.

The United States called on the United Nations Security Council last Monday to adopt a resolution supporting the Gaza ceasefire and prisoner exchange deal between “Israel” and the Palestinian Resistance laid out by President Joe Biden, Reuters reported on Tuesday.

The US circulated a one-page draft text to the 15-member council. For the resolution to pass, it requires at least nine votes in favor and no vetoes from the US, France, Britain, China, or Russia.

Failing to call on the Israeli occupation forces to end its war machine, the draft urges Hamas to accept the deal and “fully and implement its terms without delay and without condition.”

The White House had earlier said Biden told the emir of mediator Qatar that he saw Hamas as “the only obstacle to a complete ceasefire” in Gaza and urged him to press the Palestinian Resistance group to accept it.

Biden claimed that this is the most effective step toward de-escalating the ongoing war, adding, “With a ceasefire, that aid could be safely and effectively distributed to all who need it.”

“As someone who’s had a lifelong commitment to Israel, as the only American president who has ever gone to Israel at a time of war, as someone who just sent the US forces to directly defend Israel when it was attacked by Iran, I ask you to take a step back, think what will happen if this moment is lost,” he stressed. “We can’t lose this moment.”

“It’s time for this war to end and for the day after to begin,” emphasized Biden, who is under the pressure of an election year and amid the ongoing Israeli aggression, which has persisted for eight months.