11 Jun. 24: Indonesia and Malaysia, on Tuesday, welcomed the adoption of a resolution by the UN Security Council that supports a Gaza ceasefire proposal announced by US President Joe Biden, Anadolu Agency reports.
The resolution, penned by the US, received 14 votes in favour at the 15-member Security Council, with Russia abstaining on Monday.
“The adoption of UNSC Resolution 2735 (2024) on the three-phase ceasefire proposal is a long overdue yet an important step to stop the ongoing atrocities against the people of Palestine and towards achieving an immediate and permanent ceasefire in Gaza,” Indonesian Foreign Ministry said in a statement on X.
Jakarta urged “all parties” to reach an agreement without delay to ensure a lasting ceasefire, immediate relief for the people of Palestine and to pave the way towards the implementation of the two-state solution.
Welcoming the development, Malaysia called for the “full and swift” implementation of the resolution in order to stop the killing of Palestinians.
“The UNSC must fulfil its charter-mandated responsibility to maintain peace and security,” the country’s Foreign Ministry said in a statement.
“Malaysia reiterates its unwavering support for the establishment of an independent and sobering state of Palestine based on the pre-1967 border, with East Jerusalem as its capital, and the admission of Palestine as a full member of the United Nations,” it added.
On 31 May, Biden said that Israel presented a three-phase deal that would end hostilities in Gaza and secure the release of hostages held in the coastal enclave. The plan includes a ceasefire, a hostage-prisoner exchange and the reconstruction of Gaza.
As part of the resolution’s outline, the first phase proposes “immediate, full and complete ceasefire, release of hostages including women, the elderly and the wounded, the return of the remains of some hostages who have been killed, the exchange of Palestinian prisoners, withdrawal of Israeli forces from the populated areas in Gaza, the return of Palestinian civilians to their homes and neighbourhoods in all areas of Gaza, including in the north, as well as the safe and effective distribution of humanitarian assistance at scale throughout the Gaza Strip to all Palestinian civilians who need it, including housing units delivered by the international community.”
The second phase includes the release of all remaining hostages in Gaza while permanently ceasing hostiles and “full withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza”.
The third phase proposes a long-term reconstruction plan for Gaza.
Israel has continued its brutal offensive on Gaza since a Hamas attack last 7 October, despite a UN Security Council resolution demanding an immediate ceasefire.
More than 36,700 Palestinians have since been killed in Gaza, most of them women and children, and over 83,500 others injured, according to local health authorities.
Eight months into the Israeli war, vast tracts of Gaza lay in ruins amid a crippling blockade of food, clean water, and medicine.
Israel stands accused of genocide at the International Court of Justice (ICJ), which in its latest ruling has ordered Tel Aviv to immediately halt its operation in the southern city of Rafah, where over a million Palestinians had sought refuge from the war before it was invaded on 6 May.
