New York: The United Nations Security Council on Monday adopted a US-drafted resolution calling for a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip. The resolution was adopted, with 14 countries voting in favor and Russia abstaining.
The resolution, numbered 2735, states that Israel has accepted the US proposal, calling on Hamas to accept it as well, and urges both parties to fully implement its terms without delay and without conditions.
The second paragraph of the resolution explains in detail the implementation of the three-phase ceasefire plan outlined in US President Joseph Biden’s speech: Phase 1: A complete ceasefire with the release of hostages, including women, the elderly and the wounded. The return of the remains of some of the hostages who were killed. Withdrawal of Israeli forces from populated areas in Gaza. The return of Palestinian civilians to their homes in Gaza. The safe and effective widespread distribution of humanitarian assistance throughout the Gaza Strip to all Palestinian civilians in need. The seco
nd phase includes “upon agreement by both parties, a permanent cessation of hostilities, in exchange for the release of all other hostages still in Gaza, and the full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.” The third phase provides for “the commencement of a major multi-year reconstruction plan in Gaza and the return of the remains of any deceased hostages still in Gaza to their families.”
The third paragraph of the US resolution states that the council “emphasizes that the proposal states that if negotiations take longer than six weeks for the first phase, the ceasefire will continue as long as negotiations continue. It welcomes the willingness of Egypt, the United States and Qatar to work to ensure that negotiations continue until all agreements are reached and the second phase begins.”
In the fourth paragraph, the resolution emphasizes “the importance of the parties adhering to the terms of the agreement once it is agreed upon, with the aim of achieving a permanent cessation of hostilities, and calls on
all Member States and the United Nations to support its implementation.”
In the fifth paragraph, the Security Council “rejects any attempt at demographic or territorial change in the Gaza Strip, including measures that reduce the size of Gaza.”
In the sixth paragraph, the Council “reiterates its unwavering commitment to the vision of a two-state solution where two democratic states, Israel and Palestine, live side by side in peace within secure and recognized borders, consistent with international law and relevant UN resolutions, and stresses in this regard the importance of uniting the Gaza Strip with the West Bank under the leadership of the Palestinian Authority.”
Source: Jordan News Agency