U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken stated on Tuesday that "Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu confirmed in a meeting with him last night his commitment to the U.S. proposal adopted by the Security Council to end the war in Gaza." Blinken added, "Hamas must decide whether to move forward with the proposed plan or not. The statements coming from Hamas leadership inside Gaza are crucial, and that is what we are waiting to see," emphasizing that "Hamas's statement supporting the UN resolution is a hopeful gesture." He continued, "Discussions about post-war plans will continue this afternoon and over the next two days."
For his part, Sami Abu Zuhri, head of the political department of Hamas abroad, stated that Hamas accepted the UN Security Council resolution on a ceasefire, withdrawal, and prisoner exchange and is ready to negotiate the details. The UN Security Council on Monday endorsed a U.S.-drafted resolution supporting a proposal put forth by President Joe Biden for a ceasefire in Gaza. Russia abstained from voting, while the other 14 member states approved the resolution. The United States finalized the proposal on Sunday following six days of negotiations among council members.
Hamas leader Mahmoud Mardawi told "Sky News Arabia" that the movement is prepared to cooperate with mediators to implement the U.S. resolution. Mardawi explained, "We are ready to give mediators a chance, and we will cooperate with them to implement the resolution." He pointed out that the proposal is the result of negotiations that took place in recent months, asserting that Hamas's welcome of the resolution is based on the expectation that it will lead to a prisoner exchange deal and serve the interests of Palestinians, which include a ceasefire and an end to the killings.
