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Israel vowed to continue its military operation in Gaza, saying it would not engage in “meaningless” negotiations with Hamas, shortly after the United Nations Security Council overwhelmingly approved a U.S.-backed ceasefire plan intended to end all eight conflicts. months of war.
Israel’s representative to the UN, Reut Shapir Ben-Naftaly, stressed Monday at a meeting of the UN Security Council that her country wants to “ensure that Gaza does not pose a threat to Israel at all.” ‘future “.
The top diplomat said the war would not end until all hostages were returned and Hamas’s capabilities were “dismantled,” accusing the Palestinian militant group of using “endless negotiations… as a way to save time.
His comments come after 14 of the 15 members of the UN Security Council voted in favor of the resolution proposed by the United States on Monday, with only Russia abstaining – the first time the Council has approved such a plan to end the war. Israel is not a member of the UN Security Council and therefore did not vote.
The three-step comprehensive peace agreement, which sets out conditions leading to the eventual release of all remaining hostages in exchange for a permanent ceasefire and the withdrawal of Israeli forces, was presented for the first time time by US President Joe Biden on May 31.
The historic vote means the UN Security Council now joins other major world bodies in supporting the plan, increasing international pressure on Hamas and Israel to end the conflict.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken, on a diplomatic trip to the Middle East, said Tuesday that in a meeting with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, the Israeli leader “reaffirmed his commitment” to the current proposal to obtain a ceasefire and the release of the hostages, which is still awaiting a response from Hamas.
Blinken said he received explicit assurances from Netanyahu that he would continue to support the deal and would accept it if Hamas agreed to what was on the table.
However, Netanyahu has publicly and repeatedly declared that his country will continue the war in Gaza until Hamas is destroyed and the hostages are freed.
Israel and Hamas react
Hamas welcomed the adoption of the UN Security Council resolution, saying it was ready to engage with mediators to implement measures such as the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, the exchange of prisoners , the return of residents to their homes and the “rejection of any change or demographic change”. reduction of the area of the Gaza Strip.
The resolution says Israel agreed to the plan, and U.S. officials have repeatedly emphasized that Israel agreed to the proposal — despite other public comments from Netanyahu suggesting otherwise.
Even last month, less than an hour after Biden unveiled his proposal, Netanyahu insisted that Israel would not end the war until Hamas was defeated.
U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Linda Thomas-Greenfield said Monday that the United States would ensure Israel meets its obligations, while Egypt and Qatar would do the same with Hamas.
“The fighting could stop today” if Hamas accepted the deal, she said.
But detailed negotiations to implement its provisions have not yet resulted in an agreement between Israel and Hamas.
The deal is divided into three phases, according to Thomas-Greenfield. It includes an initial ceasefire, the release of Israeli hostages and the exchange of Palestinian prisoners, and ultimately a definitive end to hostilities and the complete withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza, as well as an effective distribution of aid and a major, multi-year rebuild in the strip. .
The ambassador also said the agreement “rejects any geographic change” in Gaza and reiterates the commitment to a two-state solution.
Palestinian envoy to the UN Riyad Mansour said the Palestinian Authority – which governs the Israeli-occupied West Bank – welcomed the deal as a “step in the right direction” but said it was returning it is up to Israel to implement these measures.
“We want a ceasefire,” he said, adding that “the onus is on the Israeli side to implement this resolution.”
“The proof is in the pudding. We will see who are those who wish to see this resolution become a reality and those who obstruct it and want to continue the war of genocide against our people,” he added.
Before the vote, Blinken told Netanyahu during their meeting in Jerusalem that the proposal would “unlock the possibility of calm along Israel’s northern border and further integration with countries in the region,” according to a statement from the State Department.
“The United States and other world leaders will support” the proposal for the release of the hostages and an immediate ceasefire in Gaza, Blinken told Netanyahu.
After the resolution’s adoption, Blinken spoke with Israeli Defense Minister Yoav Gallant, where he “welcomed Israel’s willingness to reach a deal and affirmed that it is Hamas’ responsibility to accept it.” , according to a report of their meeting.
Blinken arrived in Israel on Monday, following the resignation of Benny Gantz from Israel’s war cabinet on Sunday. Gantz’s departure was a blow to Netanyahu, who is under increasing pressure from Western allies and hostage families to end the war and bring back the captives.
Gantz stressed to Blinken during their meeting the importance of “applying maximum pressure” on negotiators to secure Hamas’ agreement on the latest ceasefire plan and bring home those detained in Gaza, according to a statement from Gantz’s office. He adds that Gantz said his party would support “any responsible arrangement” on the issue outside of government.
There has, however, been confusion over who owns this proposal. Biden called it an “Israeli proposal,” but less than an hour after Biden announced the plan in May, Netanyahu said his country would not end the war until Hamas was defeated.
Biden said Hamas had degraded to the point where it could no longer carry out this type of attack, and that now “it’s time for this war to end.” The Israeli Prime Minister, however, has not yet publicly announced whether his country accepted or rejected the proposal drawn up by the United States.
Eight months into the war, Israel has yet to achieve its stated goals as most of Hamas’s top leaders remain at large, while earlier this week Israeli military officials estimated that around 120 Hostages were still captive, approximately 70 of whom were believed to remain in captivity. alive.
More than 37,000 people have been killed in Gaza since the start of the war, according to the Gaza Health Ministry.
CNN cannot verify the figures provided by the ministry, which does not distinguish between combatant and civilian casualties. It does not include in its figures the several thousand people missing, nor those who are still under the rubble in Gaza since October 7.
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