The Security Council approves the US draft resolution regarding Trump’s plan for Gaza

The UN Security Council approved a draft resolution drafted by the United States that supports President Donald Trump’s plan to end the war in Gaza and allows an international stabilization force to be sent to the Palestinian Strip.

Last month, Israel and Hamas agreed to the first phase of Trump’s 20-item plan to end the war in Gaza.

The first phase stipulates a ceasefire after a two-year war between the two sides, in addition to the release and handover of the remaining living and deceased Israeli hostages in Gaza in exchange for Palestinian prisoners and detainees.

The UN resolution is seen as an important step to legitimize the transitional rule and reassure countries considering sending forces to the Strip.

The resolution stipulates that member states can participate in the so-called Peace Council, which the resolution says will be a transitional authority overseeing the reconstruction and economic recovery of Gaza.

The resolution authorizes the establishment of an international stabilization force, which will undertake the disarmament process in Gaza, including the disposal of weapons and the destruction of military infrastructure.

Hamas confirmed that it will not give up its weapons, and considers its fight against Israel to be legitimate resistance, which may put the armed group in a confrontation with the international force authorized by the resolution.

The movement said in a statement issued after the adoption of the draft resolution: “The resolution imposes an international guardianship mechanism on the Gaza Strip, which is rejected by our people, its forces and its factions.”

She added: “Assigning the international force to tasks and roles inside the Gaza Strip, including disarming the resistance, strips it of its neutrality and turns it into a party to the conflict in favor of the occupation.”

Trump’s 20-item plan was included as an appendix to the resolution.

US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz said that the resolution: “delineates a possible path to Palestinian self-determination… where missiles are replaced with olive branches, and there is an opportunity to agree on a political horizon.”

Waltz added to the council before the vote: “It (the draft resolution) breaks the grip of Hamas and ensures that Gaza rises away from the specter of terrorism in prosperity and security.”

Russia, which has veto power in the Security Council, had previously indicated its possible opposition to the draft resolution, but abstained from voting, allowing it to be passed.

The ambassadors of Russia and China to the United Nations said that the resolution does not give the United Nations a clear role in the future of Gaza. China also abstained from voting.

Russian Ambassador Vasily Nebenzia told the Council after the vote, “In essence, the Council gives its blessing to an American initiative based on Washington’s promises, which grants full control over the Gaza Strip to the Peace Council and the International Stabilization Forces, the mechanisms of which we know nothing yet.”

The Palestinian Authority issued a statement in which it welcomed the decision and expressed its readiness to participate in its implementation.

She stressed in the statement: “The necessity of working immediately to implement this decision on the ground in a way that ensures the return of normal life, protects our people in the Gaza Strip, prevents displacement and complete withdrawal of the occupation and reconstruction forces, stops undermining the two-state solution, and prevents annexation.”

Diplomats said that the authority’s approval of the resolution last week was a key factor in preventing Russia from using its veto.

Trump celebrated the vote, calling it a “truly historic moment” in a post on social media.

“Council members, and many other exciting announcements, will be announced over the coming weeks,” he wrote.

A “path” to establishing a state

The decision sparked widespread controversy in Israel because it indicates the possibility of establishing a Palestinian state in the future.

The text of the resolution states that “conditions may eventually create for a serious path towards Palestinian self-determination and the establishment of a state” once the Palestinian Authority implements a reform program and the Gaza redevelopment file witnesses progress.

The resolution stated, “The United States will establish a dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians to agree on a political horizon for peaceful and prosperous coexistence.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, under pressure from right-wing parties in his government, said on Sunday that Israel remains opposed to the establishment of a Palestinian state and pledged to disarm Gaza “the easy way or the hard way.”

Hamas has so far refused to disarm.

A group of Palestinian factions led by Hamas issued a statement against the decision, describing it as a dangerous step towards imposing foreign guardianship over the Gaza Strip, and saying that the proposed decision serves Israeli interests.