United Nations, November 19: The U.N. Security Council on Monday adopted a U.S.-drafted resolution endorsing President Donald Trump’s plan to end the war in Gaza and authorising an international stabilisation force for the enclave, even as Hamas dismissed the measure and warned it would not accept foreign oversight.
The resolution, which includes Mr. Trump’s 20-point plan as an annex, passed after Russia – which had signalled potential opposition – abstained. Israel and Hamas agreed last month to the first phase of the plan, covering a ceasefire in their two-year conflict and a hostage-release arrangement.
Washington says the Security Council’s endorsement is essential to legitimising a transitional governance mechanism for Gaza and reassuring countries considering contributing troops. The text authorises an international stabilisation force tasked with demilitarising Gaza, including by decommissioning weapons and dismantling military infrastructure. It also enables member states to take part in a proposed “Board of Peace” to oversee reconstruction and economic recovery in the territory.
The Palestinian Authority voiced support for the resolution on Friday.
The measure has sparked controversy in Israel because it references the possibility of Palestinian statehood. The text says “conditions may finally be in place for a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood” once the Palestinian Authority completes a reform programme and Gaza’s redevelopment advances. It also pledges that the United States will facilitate dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians on a political horizon for coexistence.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, under pressure from right-wing coalition partners, said on Sunday that Israel remained firmly opposed to a Palestinian state and vowed to demilitarise Gaza “the easy way or the hard way.”
Hamas rejected the resolution, saying it fails to address Palestinian rights and would impose an international trusteeship that Palestinians and resistance factions strongly oppose. The group said empowering a foreign force to disarm fighters would “strip it of neutrality” and turn it into a party to the conflict “in favour of the occupation.”
A Hamas-led umbrella group of Palestinian factions also condemned the measure as a dangerous step toward foreign guardianship over Gaza, arguing it ultimately serves Israeli interests.
