US: “Israel agrees, Hamas responsible”; Israel remains ambiguous, Hamas welcomes resolution, emphasizes US pressure on Israel
The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) adopted a Gaza ceasefire resolution based on the proposal by US President Joe Biden on the 10th local time. However, challenges are expected in the implementation as the US, Israel, and Hamas have taken different stances and shifted blame to each other regarding the ceasefire agreement.
The draft resolution based on Biden’s ceasefire proposal presented on March 31 was adopted during an emergency meeting with the support of all 14 member states, except for Russia who abstained. The resolution urged both Israel and Hamas to fully and immediately implement the ceasefire without conditions.
The resolution includes a three-stage plan for a sustainable and comprehensive ceasefire. In the first stage, an immediate and complete ceasefire along with the release of women, elderly, and injured hostages and returning some remains of deceased hostages are called for, along with the release of Palestinians detained by Israel. Palestinian refugees should be able to return home, including to the northern Gaza Strip, and the safe and effective distribution of large-scale humanitarian aid should be ensured.
In particular, Israel must withdraw from the densely populated areas in Gaza. Rafah in the southernmost part of Gaza, where Israel launched a ground incursion last month, is currently a densely populated area where refugees have gathered.
In the second stage, the remaining hostages must be released, Israeli forces must fully withdraw from Gaza, and a complete cessation of hostilities must be achieved. The third stage will focus on initiating a large-scale reconstruction plan for Gaza and the repatriation of the remains of deceased hostages still present in Gaza.
The UNSC emphasized that the ceasefire will continue if negotiations for the first stage take more than 6 weeks. Any demographic or territorial changes, including the shrinking of Gaza territory, are rejected.
However, the conflicting statements from the US, Israel, and Hamas regarding their agreement on the ceasefire raise uncertainties about the prompt implementation of the resolution. Following the UNSC vote on the 10th, Linda Thomas-Greenfield, the US Ambassador to the UN, urged Hamas to accept the proposed ceasefire, stating that if Hamas agrees, “the fighting could end today.”
During his visit to the Middle East, US Secretary of State Antony Blinken in Cairo on the 10th stated that Israel has agreed to the ceasefire proposal presented by President Biden, and emphasized that Hamas is the only party that has not agreed to the ceasefire. He called on regional governments to press Hamas to accept the ceasefire, stating that Biden’s proposal is “very similar to what Hamas had previously accepted.”
The US State Department, in a press release, stated that Blinken, during his meeting with Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz in Israel on the same day, praised Israel for being prepared to negotiate a settlement and confirmed that “the responsibility to accept the ceasefire lies with Hamas.”
However, Israel has not publicly stated its acceptance of the ceasefire agreement. Following the UNSC vote on the 10th, Reut Shapir Ben-Naftali, Charge d’Affaires at the Israeli Mission to the UN, reiterated Israel’s previous stance that they will continue the war until all hostages are returned and Hamas’ military and governing capabilities are dismantled. He stated that once these objectives are achieved, the war will end. He added that Israel will not engage in meaningless and endless negotiations that could be used by Hamas as a means to delay.
The Israeli Prime Minister’s Office previously stated that Israel would not agree to a “permanent ceasefire” until conditions such as the destruction of Hamas’ military and governing capabilities and the release of all hostages are met.
Following Russia’s abstention in the UNSC vote on the 10th, Vasily Nebenzya, the Russian Ambassador to the UN, pointed out Israel’s position, questioning specifically, “What exactly has Israel agreed to?” He indicated that due to this uncertainty, he did not support the adoption of the resolution.
Concerns have been raised about the increased influence of the far-right opposition opposing negotiations following the withdrawal of Israeli Defense Minister Benny Gantz from the interim government led by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu the previous day. Gantz, who made the decision due to differences with Netanyahu regarding governance related to Gaza before and after the war, has been presenting relatively moderate views within the interim government. Following Gantz’s withdrawal, far-right Minister of National Security Itamar Ben Gvir demanded his immediate inclusion in the cabinet.
Meanwhile, Hamas rejected the adoption of the UNSC resolution on the 10th. According to Reuters on the 10th, Hamas issued a statement welcoming the contents of the resolution that included a permanent ceasefire in Gaza, complete withdrawal, prisoner exchange, reconstruction, return of refugees to their residences, refusal of demographic changes or territorial diminution in Gaza, and the provision of necessary assistance to Gaza residents.
Another militant group in Gaza, Islamic Jihad, also viewed the contents of the resolution positively. The Palestinian Authority (PA) in the West Bank of the Jordan River also welcomed the adoption of the resolution.
Reuters reported on the 10th that a senior Hamas official, Sami Abu Zuhri, stated, “We urge the US government to pressure the occupying forces (Israel) to end the war in Gaza.” He added that Hamas is prepared to negotiate positively on any initiative that guarantees the termination of hostilities.
Amid conflicting positions of the US, Hamas, and Israel, the rescue of 4 hostages by the Israeli military in Gaza on the 8th, resulting in the deaths of at least dozens of Gaza residents or injuries, could potentially impact the ceasefire negotiations.
The Gaza Health Ministry counted 274 deaths in the Nuseirat refugee camp in central Gaza during the Israeli military’s attack to rescue hostages. The Israeli military stated that fewer than 100 casualties and possibly armed militants were among the victims.
Following the UNSC vote on the 10th, Naftali, the Charge d’Aff
aires, criticized Hamas for letting “so-called innocent civilians” act as guards while hostages were held in residential buildings, seemingly justifying the sacrifices of Gaza residents. He emphasized that Israel regrets civilian casualties but stressed that Palestinian civilians who collaborated with Hamas and were complicit in their war crimes cannot be absolved of any involvement.
The Washington Post reported on the 10th that within the US government, divergent perspectives have emerged regarding Hamas’s acceptance of the ceasefire negotiatio
ns. Some officials believe that ultimately, the final decision rests with Hamas leader Yahya Sinwar, who is believed to be hiding in Gaza, and suggested that Sinwar may choose to martyr himself as a martyr, content to isolate Israel in the international community rather than agree to the ceasefire agreement that could lead to the dismantling of Hamas.
On the contrary, more optimistic officials think that if negotiations are successful, Sinwar will be seen as a hero for releasing Palestinian prisoners within Israel, and Hamas may accept negotiations with slight modifications as highlighted by the Israeli hostage rescue operation without the need for direct negotiations.
The Washington Post also quoted four officials who spoke on the condition of anonymity to discuss sensitive topics, stating that while Israel has proclaimed the complete dismantling of Hamas, Hamas is seeking written assurances that Israel will comply with a permanent ceasefire-related agreement. The officials believe that very few diplomats expect Israeli leaders to accept these demands, and ultimately urge US officials to pressure Qatar and Egypt, intermediaries in the negotiations, to persuade Hamas to accept the current proposal. The officials explained that Qatar and Egyptian authorities would demand that Hamas political leader Ismail Haniyeh and other Hamas officials leave Qatar if negotiations fail to reach an agreement.