(Image source from: x.com/UN)
The United Nations Security Council on Monday supported a proposal between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip proposed by US President Joe Biden. They encouraged the Palestinian militants to accept the deal, which aims to end the eight-month-long war. Hamas welcomed the adoption of the US-drafted resolution and expressed their readiness to work with mediators on implementing the plan's principles, which align with the demands of their people and resistance. Russia abstained from the UN vote, and the remaining 14 members of the Security Council voted on May 31 to approve a three-phase cease-fire plan proposed by Biden, which he described as an Israeli initiative. After the vote, the US Ambassador to the UN, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, told the council, "Today we voted for peace." A new ceasefire proposal was welcomed after the resolution which stated that Israel agreed and it called on Hamas to agree for it, and urges both parties to fully implement its terms without delay and without conditions.
The proposed resolution offers a glimmer of hope for the Palestinians, calling for a cessation of the ongoing violence. It outlines a plan for negotiations, specifying that the ceasefire will continue as long as the talks progress, even if they extend beyond the initial six-week timeline. However, Russia has expressed concerns, requesting more detailed information on Israel's commitments. Israel's representative reiterated the nation's objectives in Gaza, emphasizing the removal of hostages, the dismantling of Hamas' military and governing capabilities, and the elimination of any future threats from the region. The representative emphasized that it is Hamas that is preventing an end to the conflict. The governing body sternly called for a swift end to the violence and the unconditional freeing of all individuals being held by the Hamas organization. For a considerable duration, diplomats from the United States, Egypt, and Qatar have been actively working to facilitate a peaceful resolution to the conflict.
Hamas demands a final end to the war in Gaza and Israel's withdrawal from the enclave of 2.3 million people. Israel retaliates for the October 7 attack by Hamas in Gaza. According to Israeli estimates, Hamas killed more than 1,200 people and took more than 250 hostages on October 7. More than 100 hostages are believed to be held in the Gaza Strip. Israel carried out air, land and sea strikes on Palestine, killing more than 37,000 Palestinians, according to the health authorities of the Gaza Strip.
