The United Nations Security Council has approved a peace roadmap proposed by US President Joe Biden, aimed at ending the violence and brutal crackdown on Muslims in Gaza by Israeli forces. The 15-member Security Council adopted the US resolution with the support of 14 members, while Russia abstained from the vote.
Russia’s abstention was due to concerns over the completeness of Biden’s roadmap. Russian Ambassador Vasily Nebenzia questioned what specific agreements had been made by Israel, stating that the Security Council should not endorse “non-clean” agreements.
Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US Ambassador to the UN, expressed optimism after the resolution’s adoption, stating, “Today we have voted for peace.” She highlighted the significance of this step as the US has previously blocked several UN Security Council resolutions aimed at halting the violence in Gaza.
Algeria, the sole Arab representative on the Security Council, welcomed the resolution. Algerian Ambassador Ammar Benjamii described it as a significant step towards ending the violence in a sustainable manner, bringing hope to the Palestinian people.
The US resolution calls on Hamas to accept the terms of Biden’s roadmap without preconditions and urges both Hamas and Israel to respect any agreement drawn up under this plan. The roadmap aims to sustain a ceasefire between Israeli forces and Hamas fighters in Gaza.
Biden stated that Israel had agreed to the provisions of the roadmap, while Hamas had been presented with its terms. He noted that the United States, Qatar, and Egypt would work together to implement an agreement based on the roadmap. Peace talks between Israel and Hamas are being jointly mediated by Qatar and Egypt.
The roadmap consists of three stages. The first stage involves a six-week moratorium on Israeli offensives in Gaza and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from densely populated areas. This stage also includes the potential release of some hostages held by Hamas, such as women and the elderly, in exchange for the release of a significant number of Palestinian prisoners by Israeli forces. Additionally, it calls for the unrestricted importation of food and humanitarian supplies into Gaza.
The conflict in Gaza, which began eight months ago, has resulted in the deaths of 37,124 people. An estimated 25,000 women and children are believed to be trapped under rubble from destroyed buildings. The total number of injured has risen to 84,712, and the UN reports that over a million people in Gaza are suffering from high temperatures due to the ongoing crisis.
