The UN Security Council has adopted a US-drafted resolution from President Donald Trump’s controversial 20-point “peace plan” for Gaza with 13 votes in favour and two abstentions.
The UN Security Council passed the resolution on Monday 17 November, which will establish a new transitional Board of Peace (BoP) and authorise an International Stabilisation Force (ISF) to oversee governance, reconstruction and security in Gaza.
The resolution received 13 votes in favour, with only two members abstaining, Russia and China, and mandated a transitional administration.
US President Donald Trump had originally drafted the resolution as part of his 20-point peace plan, and the vote to pass it this week would be the next crucial step in consolidating the fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas.
Surrounding Arab and Muslim countries had expressed a strong interest in providing troops for the international force but had previously stated that a UN mandate was an essential step in their participation.
The draft now says “conditions may finally be in place for a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood”.
Russia’s UN envoy Vassily Nebenzia argued that his abstention was on the basis that “key components” related to legal matters were not taken into consideration.
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“It also lacks any clarity about the time frames for transfer to the Palestinian Authority of control over Gaza, any certainty surrounding the Board of Peace and the national stabilisation force, the ISF,” he said.
China’s UN envoy Fu Cong also expressed similar concerns, stating that the resolution is “lacking in many respects and is deeply worrisome” with “vague and unclear” elements.
De-militarising Gaza
US envoy to the UN, Mike Waltz, told the council that “today, we have the power to douse the flames and light a path to peace”.
“That path is the draft UN Security Council resolution before us — a bold, pragmatic blueprint born from President (Donald) Trump’s 20-point comprehensive plan to end the Gaza conflict, forged in the fires of diplomacy with Qatar, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Türkiye, Pakistan and Indonesia,” he said.
According to Waltz, the ISF will work to:
- Stabilise the security environment in Gaza
- Support the demilitarisation of Gaza
- Dismantle terrorist infrastructure
- Decommission weapons
The resolution stipulated that the BoP and ISF’s presence will “remain authorised until 31 December 2027, subject to further action by the Council.”
Hamas and Israel
Hamas has rejected the US resolution, stating that the measure imposes international guardianship, fails to meet Palestinian rights, and has no practical commitment towards a Palestinian state.
Hamas official Osama Hamdan said: “The UN Security Council resolution imposes international guardianship over Gaza and seeks to recreate the occupation, stripping Palestinians of their right to resist. The resolution contains no clear language supporting the establishment of a Palestinian state.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday that Israel remained opposed to a Palestinian state and pledged to demilitarise Gaza “the easy way or the hard way”.
Israel’s National Security Minister Itamar Ben-Gvir also rejected the measure, calling for the assassination of Palestinian Authority officials if the UN backs Palestinian statehood.
