UN Security Council adopts US resolution on Trump’s Gaza peace plan

WASHINGTON – The UN Security Council on Nov 17 voted to adopt a US-drafted resolution endorsing US President Donald Trump’s plan to end the war in Gaza and authorising a multinational force for the Palestinian enclave.

Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas agreed in October to the first phase of Mr Trump’s 20-point plan for Gaza:
a ceasefire in their two-year war and a hostage release deal.

But the UN resolution is seen as vital to legitimising a transitional governance body and reassuring countries that are considering sending troops to Gaza.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu hailed Mr Trump’s peace plan after the Security Council endorsed it, saying it would bring “peace and prosperity”.

“We believe that President Trump’s plan will lead to peace and prosperity because it insists upon full demilitarisation, disarmament and the deradicalisation of Gaza,” Mr Netanyahu’s office posted on X.

“True to President Trump’s vision, this will lead to further integration of Israel and its neighbours as well as expansion of Abraham Accords,” it added.

The text of the resolution says member states can take part in the Board of Peace envisioned as a transitional authority that would oversee reconstruction and economic recovery of Gaza.

It also authorises the International Stabilisation Force (ISF), which will ensure a process of demilitarising Gaza, including by decommissioning weapons and destroying military infrastructure.

Hamas, in a statement, reiterated that it will not disarm and argued that its fight against Israel is legitimate resistance, potentially pitting the militant group against the international force authorised by the resolution.

“The resolution imposes an international guardianship mechanism on the Gaza Strip, which our people and their factions reject,” Hamas, which sparked the Gaza war with its Oct 7, 2023, attack on Israel
, said in its statement.

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

“It dismantles Hamas’ grip, it ensures Gaza rises free from terror’s shadow, prosperous and secure,” he told the Security Council ahead of the vote.

Russia, which holds a veto on the council, earlier signalled potential opposition to the resolution but abstained from the vote, allowing the resolution to pass.

China also abstained.

The UN ambassadors of Russia and China complained that the resolution does not give the UN a clear role in the future of Gaza.

“In essence, the council is giving its blessing to a US initiative on the basis of Washington’s promises, giving complete control over the Gaza Strip to the Board of Peace and the ISF, the modalities of which we know nothing about so far,” Russian Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya told the council following the vote.

The Palestinian Authority issued a statement welcoming the resolution, stressing “the urgent need to immediately implement this resolution on the ground”.

Mr Trump celebrated the vote as “a moment of true historic proportion” in a social media post.

“The members of the board, and many more exciting announcements, will be made in the coming weeks,” he wrote.

Key to lasting peace

Singapore, meanwhile, said the resolution “is a significant step forward
towards a lasting peace” in Gaza.

“It is critical that the current ceasefire be maintained by all parties, and to allow for the swift and unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza,” the country’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs said in a statement.

Indonesia also welcomed the resolution.

“The resolution prioritises conflict resolution and prolonged peace through the capacity building of the Palestinian authorities,” Indonesia’s Foreign Ministry spokeswoman Yvonne Mewengkang said in a statement.

“Indonesia will always support an independent and sovereign Palestinian nation,” she said.

The Trump administration has been trying to persuade countries such as Indonesia and Egypt to contribute troops to the peacekeeping force.

The world’s largest Muslim-majority nation and a longstanding advocate of the Palestinian cause, Indonesia is ready to deploy up to 20,000 troops, its Defence Ministry said last week, adding that they would focus on areas like health and infrastructure.

‘Pathway’ to statehood

The resolution has proved controversial in Israel because it references a future possibility of statehood for the Palestinians.

The resolution’s text says that  “conditions may finally be in place for a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood” once the Palestinian Authority has carried out a reform programme and Gaza’s redevelopment has advanced.

“The United States will establish a dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians to agree on a political horizon for peaceful and prosperous co-existence,” it says.

Mr Netanyahu, under pressure from right-wing members of his government, said on Nov 16 that Israel remained opposed to a Palestinian state and pledged to demilitarise Gaza “the easy way or the hard way”. REUTERS