The UN Security Council adopted a resolution on Monday calling on Hamas to accept a hostage and ceasefire deal.
Why it matters: The U.S. presented the resolution as part of a diplomatic effort to increase international pressure on Hamas to accept the U.S.-backed proposal.
- 14 member states voted yes on the resolution while Russia abstained.
- U.S. officials hoped that with Russia and China not vetoing the resolution it would influence Hamas’ decision-making.
- The latest: Hamas said in a statement it welcomes the Security Council’s call for a sustainable ceasefire in Gaza and stressed it is ready to work with the mediators on implementing the principles of the resolution.
- President Biden said in a statement: “Hamas says it wants a ceasefire. This deal is an opportunity to prove they mean it.”
Driving the news: The resolution welcomed the ceasefire proposal — which President Biden outlined in a televised address — and encouraged both Israel and Hamas to “fully implement its terms without delay and without condition.”
- The resolution detailed the three phases of the hostage deal proposal and stressed that the ceasefire would continue as long as negotiations on phase two of the deal are ongoing.
Worth noting: The resolution rejects “any attempt at demographic or territorial change in the Gaza Strip, including any actions that reduce the territory of Gaza.”
- It also stresses the commitment of the UN Security Council to a two-state solution and says the Gaza Strip and the West Bank must be united under the Palestinian Authority.
What they’re saying: U.S. ambassador to the UN Linda Thomas-Greenfield said after the vote that the security council “voted for peace.”
- Thomas-Greenfield said Hamas can see from the vote that the international community is united behind the proposal for a ceasefire deal and needs to accept it.
Editor’s note: This story has been updated with comments from Linda Thomas-Greenfield.
