On Monday, the UN Security Council will vote on a resolution proposed by the United States for a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, a militant group from Palestine.
The 15-member council negotiated for six days before the United States finalised its text on Sunday. It was unclear at first whether China and Russia, the veto powers, would let the text to be adopted.
For a resolution to be passed, it must receive nine votes or more and not be vetoed by the United States, France, Britain, China, or Russia.
Biden laid out a three-phase ceasefire plan on May 31 that he described as an Israeli initiative. Some Security Council members questioned whether Israel had accepted the plan to end the fighting in Gaza.
In March, the council called for an immediate end to hostilities and the unconditional release of all Hamas captives. US, Egyptian, and Qatari negotiators have been attempting to mediate a truce for months. According to Hamas, Israel should leave the 2.3 million-person enclave and the conflict in the Gaza Strip should come to an end permanently.
(Source: Reuters)