The resolution also calls for “the speedy release of all hostages upon agreement by the parties.”
The wording of the draft reflects comments made by US Vice President Kamala Harris last weekend. On Sunday he called for an immediate ceasefire “for at least the next six weeks” because of the “great suffering in Gaza”.
Since the outbreak of war on October 7, Israel’s closest ally, the United States, has opposed the use of the term ‘ceasefire’. That is why the country has vetoed three similar resolutions in the UN’s powerful Security Council. A cease-fire would “signal the beginning of the next war” or escalate the conflict.
The other fourteen members of the Security Council can register changes to the draft. It is not clear if and when the voting will take place.
Security Council resolutions are binding under international law. If a government ignores the resolutions, physical sanctions can be imposed.
