UN Security Council approves US-backed Gaza plan – Firstpost

The United Nations Security Council (UNSC) has approved a US-backed draft resolution to bring peace to Gaza and establish an international stabilization force for the territory. This step has been taken at a time when the ceasefire proposed by Washington between Israel and Hamas remains fragile.

The council voted 13 to 0 in favor of the resolution, with China and Russia abstaining. The text of the resolution says member states could participate in a Trump-led peace board, envisioned as a transitional authority that would oversee Gaza’s reconstruction and economic recovery. It also authorizes the International Stabilization Force, which will ensure the process of demilitarizing Gaza, including neutralizing weapons and dismantling military infrastructure.

The proposal is an extension of US President Donald Trump’s 20-point Gaza peace plan, under which a ceasefire was reached in the Palestinian territory last month, following which Israeli hostages were released.

US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz said the proposal, which includes Trump’s 20-point plan as an annex, “shows a possible path to Palestinian self-determination where rockets will give way to olive branches and there is a chance to agree on the political horizon.”

What’s in the resolution?

The proposal has proven controversial in Israel because it references the possibility of future statehood for Palestinians.

The text of the resolution says that “the conditions for a credible path to Palestinian self-determination and statehood can eventually be created” once the Palestinian Authority carries out a reform program and the redevelopment of Gaza moves forward.

It added, “The United States will establish a dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians to agree on a political horizon for peaceful and prosperous coexistence.”

Hamas rejects international forces in Gaza

Meanwhile, Hamas has rejected a proposal to authorize an international stabilization force in Gaza, saying it fails to address the rights and demands of Palestinians and favors Israel.

“This resolution imposes an international guardianship mechanism on the Gaza Strip, which our people and their factions reject,” the Palestinian militant group said on Telegram.

It says, “Assigning the international force tasks and roles inside the Gaza Strip, including disarming the resistance, strips it of its neutrality, and turns it into a party to the conflict on the side of the occupation. If any international force is established, it should be deployed only to disengage forces on the borders, monitor the ceasefire, and be entirely under UN supervision.”

Trump, on the other hand, described the UNSC vote as “historic”. “Congratulations to the world on the incredible vote of the UN Security Council, not long ago, to accept and endorse the Peace Board, which I will chair and will include the most powerful and respected leaders from around the world,” he wrote on Truth Social.