UN Security Council approves international force for Gaza
The United Nations Security Council voted Monday in favour of a US-drafted peace plan for Gaza, that includes the deployment of an international force and a path to a future Palestinian state. It marks a significant step for the fragile ceasefire after more than two years of war between Israel and Hamas.
There were 13 votes in favor of the text, which US President Donald Trump claimed would lead to “further Peace all over the World,” with only Russia and China abstaining – but no vetoes.
US ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz said after the vote that “today’s resolution represents another significant step that will enable Gaza to prosper and an environment that will allow Israel to live in security.”
But Hamas, which is excluded by the resolution from any governance role in Gaza, said the resolution did not meet Palestinians’ “political and humanitarian demands and rights.”
The text, which was revised several times as a result of high-stakes negotiations, “endorses” the US president’s plan, which allowed for a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas to take hold on 10 October in the war-wracked Palestinian territory.
The Gaza Strip has been largely reduced to rubble after two years of fighting, sparked by Hamas’s attack on Israel on 7 October, 2023.
The peace plan authorises the creation of an International Stabilization Force (ISF) that would work with Israel and Egypt and newly trained Palestinian police to help secure border areas and demilitarize the Gaza Strip.
The ISF is mandated to work on the “permanent decommissioning of weapons from non-state armed groups,” protecting civilians and securing humanitarian aid corridors.
It also authorizes the formation of a “Board of Peace,” a transitional governing body for Gaza – which Trump would theoretically chair – with a mandate running until the end of 2027.
Future Palestinian state
In convoluted language, the resolution does mention a possible future Palestinian state.
Once the Palestinian Authority has carried out requested reforms and the rebuilding of Gaza is underway, “the conditions may finally be in place for a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood,” the text says.
That eventuality has been firmly rejected by Israel.
The resolution also calls for the resumption of humanitarian aid deliveries at scale through the UN, ICRC and Red Crescent.
“We must also substantially step up our work to support the UN humanitarian effort. That requires opening all crossings and ensuring that aid agencies and international NGOs can operate without obstruction,” said a British ambassador to the UN, James Kariuki.
Israeli ambassador to the UN Danny Danon said ahead of the vote that the resolution would “make sure that Hamas will not pose a threat against Israel anymore.”
