US President Donald Trump (Photo credit: AP)
The United Nations Security Council on Monday approved a US-drafted resolution endorsing President Donald Trump’s 20-point peace plan for Gaza, giving the proposal a binding international mandate after two years of conflict.The resolution received 13 votes in favour with zero vetoes, while Russia and China abstained. It authorises the creation of an International Stabilisation Force, or ISF, which the US said that several unnamed countries have expressed willingness to join. The force would be tasked with entering Gaza, overseeing demilitarisation, securing key areas and supporting the delivery of humanitarian assistance. It would also coordinate its operations with Israel and Egypt, Gaza’s southern neighbour.However, Hamas has rejected the resolution, arguing that it does not address Palestinian rights and imposes an unwanted external authority on the territory. In a statement on Telegram, the group said the plan “imposes an international guardianship mechanism on the Gaza Strip, which our people and their factions reject,” and added that giving the stabilisation force a mandate to disarm resistance groups “strips it of its neutrality, and turns it into a party to the conflict in favour of the occupation”, news agency Reuters reported.The draft resolution states that the ISF would work on the “permanent decommissioning of weapons from non-state armed groups,” including Hamas, which would be required to surrender its weapons under Trump’s proposal. The draft also calls for the creation of a newly trained Palestinian police force to eventually take over policing responsibilities in Gaza, replacing the Hamas-run force currently in place.US ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz told the council that the stabilisation force would be “tasked with securing the area, supporting the demilitarization of Gaza, dismantling the terrorist infrastructure, removing weapons, and ensuring the safety of Palestinian civilians.” He described the initial ceasefire phase, which began on 10 October with the exchange of hostages and detainees, as a “fragile, fragile first step.”The plan also proposes the establishment of a Board of Peace, which Trump is expected to head, and a World Bank-supported trust fund to support Gaza’s reconstruction. The vote took place as global actors sought to maintain the fragile ceasefire following the war that began with Hamas’ 7 October 2023 attack on Israel, which killed about 1,200 people. Israel’s subsequent offensive has killed more than 69,000 Palestinians, according to the Hamas-run Gaza health ministry.
