UN Security Council Monday Agree A U.S.-backed ceasefire plan in the Gaza Strip adds strength to international efforts to end the eight-month war. Neither Israel nor Hamas has publicly accepted the plan, but U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said Tuesday that Hold talks The district pushed for the bill to be passed.
Let’s take a look at how the ceasefire will play out and some of the disputed areas between the warring parties.
What’s in the plan?
The plan will be launched three phases.
under The first stageThe two sides will agree to a six-week ceasefire, release elderly or injured hostages or female hostages, and return the remains of some people who died in Gaza custody. In exchange, Palestinian prisoners will be released from Israeli prisons.
Israeli troops will withdraw from densely populated areas of Gaza and more humanitarian aid will be delivered to the region. Most displaced civilians will be free to return to their homes, including to northern Gaza, which has been devastated by Israeli airstrikes and fighting.
Meanwhile, negotiations on a permanent ceasefire will continue with the goal of moving to phase two: a complete withdrawal of Israeli troops, the return of all hostages and the release of more Palestinian prisoners.
In the third phase, the remains of all remaining hostages will be returned to Israel and reconstruction work in Gaza will begin.
Crucially, The ceasefire will be extended According to a report on the Security Council proceedings on the UN website, negotiations would be suspended if no agreement is reached on the second phase after the initial six weeks. This would theoretically end hostilities.
What did the Security Council call for?
this solve The Security Council resolution urges Israel and Hamas to fully implement the terms of the plan “without delay and without conditions”. It summarizes the plan and emphasizes the provision that “if the first phase of negotiations takes more than six weeks, the ceasefire will last as long as the negotiations continue.”
The Security Council itself cannot force anyone to adopt the plan, and the United Nations was not involved in ceasefire negotiations. But the adoption of the resolution — approved by 14 Security Council members and one abstained — increases pressure on both sides to reach a deal and could strengthen Washington’s influence.
What is Israel worried about?
Many details of the plan remain unresolved, especially the duration of the ceasefire and the future role of Hamas.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has repeatedly said Israel will fight until Hamas’s rule and military capabilities are destroyed. On Tuesday, an Israeli government official appeared to cautiously welcome the proposal, saying it would allow the government to achieve its goals.
“Israel will not end the war before achieving all of its war objectives,” the official said, adding that those goals include eliminating Hamas and ensuring Gaza poses no threat to Israel.
Negotiations on the second and third phases of the talks appear to involve Hamas, according to the plan. That means the armed group would retain a degree of control over Gaza, which Mr. Netanyahu has called a red line. He also ruled out a governing role for the Palestinian Authority, a fierce rival of Hamas that has limited governing powers in the Israeli-occupied West Bank.
Israel’s prime minister faces pressure from the United States and other allies to end the war, but Far right partner Some in the ruling coalition have threatened to overthrow the Israeli government if it agrees to a deal that ends the war without eliminating Hamas.
What did Hamas say?
Many Gazans say they are eager to end the war, but analysts say Hamas is not responding to the wishes of Gaza’s civilian population. Group LeaderExtremist groups, including Gaza’s top leader Yahya Sinwar, may not be eager to end the conflict. First, they know that their leverage will be reduced if they agree to release the hostages.
The group’s negotiators said they would not approve a deal that did not include a “serious, concrete agreement” on a permanent ceasefire, a full withdrawal of Israeli troops and a hostage exchange between Israeli and Palestinian prisoners.
Senior Hamas official Husam Badran said the group “viewed positively” the new proposal despite “no clear public position” from the Israeli government. He pushed back against Secretary of State Blinken’s assertion that the responsibility for accepting the plan lies with Hamas. Badran said in a text message that Netanyahu is the “only obstacle” to a deal to end the war.
What happens next?
For now, Blinken is stepping up regional talks to get the plan approved, and on Wednesday he is set to travel to Qatar, which has played a key role in mediation.
So far, both sides appear to see value in offering tentative support for the proposal without explicitly backing it, while accusing the other of stalling.
A ceasefire could build momentum toward ending the war, but talks to reach a second phase of the plan appear unlikely to be resolved quickly.
Adam Rasgon and Alan Boxman Contribute to the report
