International pressure mounts to approve Biden’s plan on Gaza

Rafah (Al-Ittihad)

Washington announced that it will seek to issue a resolution from the United Nations Security Council to support a three-stage plan for a ceasefire in Gaza and the release of the hostages, which was welcomed by the Group of Seven advanced countries and the most prominent countries in the region.
US Ambassador Linda Thomas-Greenfield said yesterday: “Many leaders and governments, including in the region, supported this plan, and we call on the Security Council to join them in calling for the implementation of this agreement without delay and without further conditions.”
She added: “Council members have consistently called for the steps outlined in this agreement, which are to return the hostages to their homes, ensure a complete ceasefire, enable an increase in humanitarian aid to Gaza and renew basic services, and pave the way for a long-term reconstruction plan for Gaza.”
She continued: “Council members should not let this opportunity pass them by.”
The plan presented by Biden last Friday as an Israeli plan proposes stopping the fighting during an initial period of 6 weeks and exchanging hostages with Palestinians detained in Israel, before the reconstruction of Gaza begins.
However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stressed that the fighting will only stop temporarily to release the detainees, and that one of Israel’s most important goals remains the destruction of the factions.
The White House insisted that the plan was prepared by Israel, not Washington, and National Security Council spokesman John Kirby said, “It is an Israeli proposal. It is a proposal that we and they worked on through extensive diplomatic exchanges.”
In turn, the Palestinian factions said since last Friday that they viewed the broad lines presented by Biden “positively,” but they have not made any official comment since then.
Qatari Foreign Ministry spokesman Majid Al-Ansari said yesterday, “We have not yet seen a very clear position from the Israeli government. We have read and seen contradictory statements issued by Israeli ministers, which does not give us much confidence in the existence of a unified position in Israel regarding this current proposal on the table.” He added, “We have not seen any statements from both sides that give us much confidence in the process,” while confirming that it will continue.
The truce plan was supported by the leaders of the Group of Seven, which also includes Britain, Canada, France, Germany, Italy and Japan. They said it would achieve “a significant and sustained increase in humanitarian aid to be distributed throughout Gaza, and a permanent end to the crisis, while ensuring Israel’s security interests and the safety of civilians in Gaza.”
Yesterday, Australia also announced its support for the proposal announced by the US President a few days ago regarding a prisoner exchange and a ceasefire in the Gaza Strip.
Yesterday, the foreign ministers of the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, Jordan and Egypt stressed the importance of dealing seriously and positively with the US President’s proposal with the aim of agreeing on a deal that guarantees a permanent ceasefire and the adequate delivery of aid to all parts of the Gaza Strip, in a way that ends the suffering of the people of the Strip.
Meanwhile, the United Nations Middle East envoy Tor Wensland urged the two sides to reach an agreement immediately on US President Joe Biden’s proposal for a ceasefire in Gaza and the return of detainees, and he wrote on the “X” website, saying that “there is no alternative, and any delay, costs every day.” Simply more lives.”
He added, “I visited Gaza last Monday, and witnessed first-hand the devastating impact of the hostilities. The scenes of destruction and people’s suffering are heartbreaking, and urgent action must be taken to alleviate the humanitarian crisis facing the Gaza Strip.”
International consensus
Yesterday, during a press conference with his Cypriot counterpart, Egyptian Foreign Minister Sameh Shoukry confirmed that there is consensus in the international community on the necessity of stopping the Israeli war in the Gaza Strip. Shukri said, “There is a consensus among the international community that it is time to stop the war after the number of victims reached unprecedented numbers, in addition to the scale of destruction and the deteriorating conditions of the Palestinians, and therefore this war must stop.”