UN Security Council Adopts US Resolution On Gaza Ceasefire

The United Nations Security Council adopted a US-drafted resolution supporting a comprehensive ceasefire plan in Gaza. The resolution was supported by 14 member states, while Russia abstained. The resolution urges both parties to fully implement the terms of the proposal “without delay and without condition.” It is the latest effort to halt the eight months of war. 

Nate Evans, spokesperson for the US mission to the United Nations, reportedly said in a statement that Israel has accepted this proposal. Meanwhile, Hamas said that it "welcomes" the vote. The Joe Biden administration has faced severe criticism earlier for having blocked previous draft resolutions calling for a ceasefire in Gaza. "Today we voted for peace," US ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said during the UN session. 

The resolution includes a ceasefire deal in three phases. The first phase includes an “immediate, full, and complete ceasefire" with the release of hostages. The second phase includes a permanent ceasefire, and the third phase involves a reconstruction effort for the devastated Gaza Strip. The US made this crucial move amid Secretary of State Antony Blinken's visit to the Middle East. The top US diplomat also met Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and Egyptian President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi in Cairo. Blinken told Benjamin Netanyahu that "the US and other world leaders will stand behind the comprehensive proposal" that would lead to an immediate ceasefire in Gaza.