Hamas has accepted the United Nations ceasefire resolution, senior Hamas official Sami Abu Zuhri has announced. The resolution, which was endorsed by the UN Security Council on Monday, calls for negotiations between Hamas and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu.
According to Abu Zuhri, the Hamas fighters have accepted the resolution, which includes provisions for a ceasefire, withdrawal of Israeli troops, and a swap of hostages for detainees held by Israel. He emphasized that the US administration now faces a “real test” to ensure that Israel complies with the resolution.
US Secretary of State Antony Blinken has expressed cautious optimism about Hamas’s acceptance of the resolution, calling it a “hopeful” sign. He met with Netanyahu in Jerusalem on Tuesday, who reaffirmed his commitment to the ceasefire proposal. Blinken noted that the US is awaiting a definitive answer from Hamas.
The resolution, which was sponsored by the United States, passed with a vote of 14-0, with Russia abstaining. It endorses a three-part ceasefire plan unveiled by US President Joe Biden last month. The plan calls for an initial six-week ceasefire, followed by an exchange of Israeli captives held in Gaza for Palestinian prisoners in Israeli jails. The third phase would focus on a lasting ceasefire and reconstruction efforts for the devastated Gaza Strip.
