Gaza war: UN Security Council backs US cease-fire plan

Palestinian militant group Hamas welcomed the adoption of the US-drafted UN cease-fire resolution and said it is prepared to cooperate with mediators to implement the plan.

In a statement, Hamas said it "welcomes the Security Council resolution [and] would like to reaffirm its readiness to cooperate with the brother mediators to enter into indirect negotiations regarding the implementation of these principles."

Hamas said it would cooperate to implement terms "that are consistent with the demands of our people and resistance." Hamas is classified as terrorist organization by many countries, including the US, Israel and EU.

The European Union has welcomed the UN Security Council resolution on the latest cease-fire proposal in Gaza and called for its "immediate implementation."

"The European Union welcomes the adoption of the United Nations Security Council resolution 2735, supporting the new ceasefire proposal announced on 31 May," it said in a statement.

"The EU recalls its full support to the comprehensive roadmap presented by United States President Joe Biden. We urge both parties to accept and implement the three-phase proposal," it added.

"The EU stands ready to contribute to reviving a political process for a lasting and sustainable peace, based on the two-state solution, and to support a coordinated international effort to rebuild Gaza."

Egypt, a key mediator between Israel and militant group Hamas, welcomed the passage of the resolution put forward by the US at the Security Council on Monday, a statement from the Foreign Ministry said on Tuesday.

Additionally, the UK ambassador to the UN, Barbara Woodward, said in remarks the situation in Gaza was "catastrophic," adding that the "suffering has gone on for far too long."

She called upon the warring parties to "seize this opportunity and move towards lasting peace which guarantees security and stability for both the Israeli and Palestinian people." 

According to the US, the cease-fire proposalapproved by the UN Security Council will ultimately see a "permanent end to hostilities in exchange for the release of all other hostages still in Gaza, and a full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza."

The US ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, concluded her remarks at the UN Security Council after the passage of the resolution.

"Today, we adopted a fourth resolution on this conflict," she said. "For the fourth time, we have spoken out and made clear that the only way to end this cycle of violence and build a durable peace is through a political settlement."

That, she said, is dependent on ensuring that Israel no longer "lives in the shadow of a terrorist group" such as Hamas and that it will "always have the right to defend itself against threats to its security."

But she said it is also dependent on progress being made towards a two-state solution.

"Today we also reaffirmed our commitment to the vision of two states where Israelis and Palestinians live side by side in peace within secure and recognized borders, consistent with international law and relevant UN resolutions, and where a revitalized and reformed Palestinian Authority leads a united West Bank and Gaza," she said.

"This is the future that we must help bring about. And it all starts with the cease-fire deal that this council endorsed today. And that this council unequivocally calls on Hamas to accept. Today, we voted for peace," she added.

The United States ambassador to the United Nations, Linda Thomas Greenfield, has welcomed the vote in favor of the cease-fire deal and called on Hamas to accept it.

"Today, this council sent a clear message to Hamas: accept the cease-fire deal on the table," she said, adding that Israel has already agreed to it.

"The fighting could stop today if Hamas could do the same," she said. "I repeat: the fighting could stop today. This Council, and countries across the region and the world, have endorsed this agreement."

She said the vote showed that the international community is "united."

"United behind a deal that will save lives and help Palestinian civilians in Gaza start to rebuild and heal. United behind a deal that will reunite hostages with their families after eight months in captivity."

Repeating US President Joe Biden's words that "the Palestinian people have endured sheer hell in this war" which she reiterated was "started by Hamas," Thomas Greenfield said that the warring parties could count on international mediators to ensure the ceasefire deal's implementation.

"Egypt and Qatar have assured the United States that they are continuing to work to ensure that Hamas engages constructively," she said. "And the United States will continue to ensure that Israel lives up to its obligations as well, assuming Hamas accepts the deal."

The UN Security Council on Monday backed a US resolution calling for a cease-fire in Gaza. The plan calls for three phases. 

The first phase envisages a six-week cessation in fighting and an Israeli withdrawal from populated areas of Gaza, allowing displaced Palestinians to return to their homes.

There would be a surge in humanitarian aid, with around 600 trucks entering the enclave each day.

Meanwhile, Hamas would release female, elderly and injured hostages in exchange for hundreds of Palestinians being held in Israel.

In a second phase, all remaining hostages in Gaza, including male Israeli soldiers, would be released, while Israeli forces would withdraw from the entirety of the Gaza Strip. Ideally by this stage, according to President Biden, the temporary cease-fire would become a permanent cessation of hostilities.

Finally, phase three would see the start of a massive internationally-backed reconstruction plan for Gaza while any remains of hostages who have been killed would also be returned.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Monday evening as he continued to push for support for a US-led ceasefire proposal.

Emphasizing to Netanyahu the importance of a "post-conflict" plan in Gaza, Blinken also "reiterated that the proposal on the table would unlock the possibility of calm along Israel's northern border and further integration with countries in the region," according to State Department spokesman Matthew Miller.

The meeting, part of Blinken's eighth diplomatic visit to the region since the current conflict began on October 7, came as Israel continued to exchange fire with Iran-backed Hezbollah militants across its northern border with Lebanon.

Miller said Blinken stressed to Netanyahu the importance of preventing the conflict from spreading.

Earlier, Blinken had made the same appeals in talks with President Abdel Fattah el-Sissi of Egypt, a key mediator with Hamas.

"It's imperative that there be a plan, and that has to involve security, it has to involve governance, it has to involve reconstruction," Blinken had said.

In Israel, however, Netanyahu and his government have thus far resisted calls for any "day after" plan that would bar Israel from having some form of security presence in Gaza.

"It would be very good if Israel put forward its own ideas on this, and I'll be talking to the government about that," Blinken said before setting off to meet Netanyahu.

Talks with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant are also planned. On Tuesday morning, Blinken is scheduled to meet Israeli President Isaac Herzog.

Houthi rebels in Yemen said Monday that they arrested a dozen employees of international humanitarian organizations and accused them of being part of "an Israeli-American espionage network."

The Houthis didn't specify the exact number of arrests, but the United Nations said on Friday that 11 of its employees had been detained in regions controlled by the Iran-backed rebels.

Six worked for the Office of the UN High Commissioner for Human Rights (OHCHR), while the others worked for different agencies including UNESCO, UNICEF and the World Food Programme.

The Houthis claimed in a statement that these positions were just a "cover" and that the "network" was "linked to the CIA."

"The American-Israeli spy cell carried out espionage and sabotage activities in official and unofficial institutions for decades in favor of the enemy," Houthi intelligence chief Abdel Hakim Al-Khaiwani said.

Neither Israeli government officials nor the US State Department made immediate comments.

According to Mohammed Albasha, a Yemen expert and a senior analyst at the Navanti Group, the Houthis' allegations of espionage are merely a "pretext."

The real objective of the arrests, he told the AFP news agency, is to put pressure on "foreign organizations or members of the international community who may be looking to lead, finance or implement projects" in Yemen.

The UN Security Council will vote Monday on a resolution tabled by the United States to back a US proposal for a cease-fire between Israel and Hamas in the Gaza Strip.

The three-phase cease-fire plan was initially laid out at the end of May and was described by President Joe Biden as an "Israeli initiative."

On his current visit to the region, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has claimed that Israel accepts the plan, but not all Security Council members are convinced.

The draft resolution welcomes the cease-fire proposal, which it says "Israel accepted," a key change from earlier drafts. It "calls upon Hamas to also accept it and urges both parties to fully implement its terms without delay and without condition."

Under the proposal, Israel would withdraw from Gaza's population centers and Hamas would free hostages. The cease-fire would last an initial six weeks and could be extended as negotiators seek a permanent end to hostilities.

Furthermore, the draft states that "if the negotiations take longer than six weeks for phase one, the ceasefire will still continue as long as negotiations continue."

The resolution's text was finalized on Sunday after a week of negotiations among the 15 members of the Security Council. To pass, a resolution requires at least nine votes in favor and no vetoes by the United States, France, Britain, China or Russia. China's and Russia's positions on the draft remain unclear.

Palestinian Foreign Minister Riyad al-Maliki told a regional radio station on Monday: "So far, there are positive signals. We hope that this proposal is accepted."

Nate Evans, spokesman for the US delegation, said on Sunday: "Council members should not let this opportunity pass by and must speak with one voice in support of this deal."

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has arrived in Israel to push for a cease-fire deal between the militant group Hamas and Israel.

It is the top US diplomat's eighth trip to the region since the Gaza war began in October.

After landing in Tel Aviv, Blinken traveled to Jerusalem to meet with Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The pair are expected to discuss a three-phase cease-fire plan put forward by US President Joe Biden in May.

The proposal envisages a six-week cessation in fighting that would ultimately lead to a permanent cease-fire.

Israel has so far said any pause in fighting is contingent on releasing all hostages. Netanyahu has also reiterated that Israel maintains its goal of fully destroying Hamas. 

Hamas, on the other hand, says it will not accept a truce unless it has guarantees that the war will end. 

Blinken started his three-day trip on Monday in Egypt. After Israel, he is expected to head to Jordan and Qatar.

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has met with Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi at the start of a three-day Middle East trip, during which he will push a three-stage cease-fire proposal.

Speaking after the meeting, Blinken said Hamas was the only side that had yet to agree to the cease-fire proposal, outlined by US President Joe Biden on May 31.

Washington says Israel has already accepted the deal.

"My message to governments throughout the region, to people throughout the region, is: If you want a cease-fire, press Hamas to say yes," Blinken told reporters.

"If you want to alleviate the terrible suffering of Palestinians in Gaza, press Hamas to say yes. If you want to get the hostages home, press Hamas to say yes," he added.

El-Sissi, a key mediator with Hamas, said it was important to lift obstacles to humanitarian aid for Gazans.

Blinken has now departed Egypt to visit Israel, where he is scheduled to meet with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

Officials say a meeting is also planned with Benny Gantz, a popular centrist lawmaker, who resigned on Sunday from Netanyahu's three-member War Cabinet, calling on the Israeli prime minister to draw up a plan for a postwar order in the Gaza Strip.

The continued closure by Israel of the Rafah border, which is affecting the delivery of aid supplies to Gaza, is an "enforcement of collective punishment" on residents of the Gaza Strip, the Palestine Red Crescent Society has said.

The PRCS accused Israel of a "direct violation of the International Court of Justice’s May Order on Provisional Measures and international humanitarian law" in view of the "imminent acute levels of famine" across the Palestinian territory.

The Rafah border crossing with Egypt, which was a key point of entry for humanitarian aid, as well as an escape route for Gazans fleeing the Israeli offensive, was shut by Israel last month.

The Israeli military claimed at the time that it seized the crossing after receiving intelligence that it was being exploited "for terrorist purposes."

 

US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has arrived in the Egyptian capital, Cairo, kicking off a Middle East trip during which he will aim to bring about a cease-fire between Israel and the Palestinian militant Islamist group Hamas.

During his three-day trip, which will also include Israel, Jordan and Qatar, he will talk with regional leaders, including Egyptian President Abdel-Fattah el-Sissi and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.

The US State Department said Blinken would be holding talks on the need to reach a cease-fire agreement that secures the release of all Israeli hostages taken by Hamas in its October 7 terror attacks on Israel, during which some 1,200 people were killed.

The basis of the talks is likely to be a new three-phase cease-fire plan laid out by US President Joe Biden on May 31.

 Neither Israel nor Hamas have so far agreed to the proposal.

The plan envisages a complete cease-fire lasting six weeks that would lead to a permanent cease-fire in a second phase. 

Calls for a cease-fire have been growing amid fears that hostilities between Israel and the Lebanese Hezbollah could escalate further into a full-fledged war, sparked by the Gaza conflict.
 

Australian Prime Minister Anthony Albanese has called on people to stick to a "respectful political debate" amid tensions aroused by the Israel-Hamas conflict after the US Consulate in Sydney was vandalized on Monday.

"People are traumatized by what is going on in the Middle East, particularly those with relatives in either Israel or in the Palestinian occupied territories," Albanese told reporters.

"And I just say, again, reiterate my call to turn the heat down and measures such as painting the US Consulate do nothing to advance the cause of those who have committed what is, of course, a crime to damage property," he said.

Nine holes were smashed in the windows of the consulate building and two inverted red triangles, seen by many as a symbol of Palestinian resistance, were also painted on its facade in the early morning action.

The consulate was closed on Monday because of a public holiday in the eastern state of New South Wales, where Sydney is situated, but would reopen on Tuesday, a consulate statement said.

The consulate was sprayed with graffiti in April, including the words "Freee (sic) Gaza." The US Consulate in the eastern city of Melbourne was vandalized by activists on May 31.

The US is a major ally of Israel and also its biggest supplier of weapons.

Despite a weekend rescue operation that succeeded in freeing four of the 250 hostages seized by Hamas, the Israeli army's spokesman, Rear Admiral Daniel Hagari, has said military force alone will not bring all the captives home alive.

"What will bring most of the hostages back home alive is a deal," he told reporters.

Following Saturday's rescue, tens of thousands of Israelis held protests in Tel Aviv calling for such a deal.

Only three other hostages have been freed by military force since the start of the war.

Some 80 Israeli hostages still remain in the hands of Hamas in Gaza, while more than 40 are reported to be dead.

Over 100 hostages were released during a weeklong cease-fire last year.

The return of the four hostages has been greeted with elation in Israel but has unleashed mourning in Gaza, where the Hamas-run Health Ministry said at least 274 Palestinians were killed in the raid.