THE United States urged the United Nations security council on Monday to support the three-phase plan announced by President Joe Biden aimed at ending the nearly eight-month-long Israeli invasion of Gaza.
US ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said that her country has circulated a draft resolution to the 14 other council members to back the proposal.
Israel’s invasion, which followed a Hamas surprise attack on it on October 7, has killed more than 36,000 Palestinians in Gaza – mostly women and children.
Ms Thomas–Greenfield said: “Numerous leaders and governments, including in the region, have endorsed this plan and we call on the security council to join them in calling for implementation of this deal without delay and without further conditions.”
The proposed deal is for a first phase that lasts for six weeks and includes a “full and complete ceasefire,” a withdrawal of Israeli forces from all populated areas of Gaza and the release of some hostages, including women, the elderly and the wounded, in exchange for the release of hundreds of Palestinian prisoners.
US hostages would be released at this stage, and remains of hostages who have been killed would be returned to their families. There would be a surge in humanitarian assistance.
The second phase would see a release of all living hostages and a withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza.
President Biden said that if Hamas lives up to its commitments, the temporary ceasefire would become a “cessation of hostilities permanently.”
The third phase of the plan announced by Biden calls for the start of a major reconstruction of Gaza, which faces decades of rebuilding from devastation caused by the war.
Hamas said it views the proposal “positively.”
Local media reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu told his far-right governing partners on Monday that the proposal announced by Mr Biden would meet Israel’s goal of destroying Hamas, according to local media.
But ultranationalists in the governing coalition have threatened to bring down his government if Mr Netanyahu agrees to a deal that doesn’t completely eliminate Hamas.
On Monday, the foreign ministers of Jordan, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Qatar and Egypt urged Israel and Hamas to consider Mr Biden’s proposal “seriously and positively.”
