The UN Security Council is set to vote Monday on a US-drafted resolution endorsing President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan, particularly regarding the deployment of an international force in the territory. Washington warns that failure to adopt the text could lead to renewed fighting.
The text, which has undergone several revisions during negotiations within the Council, endorses the plan that facilitated a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas on October 10.
Two years of fighting following Hamas’s offensive against Israel on October 7, 2013, left much of the Gaza Strip devastated.
The latest version of the text, seen by AFP, calls for the establishment of an “international stabilization force” to work with Israel, Egypt, and a newly trained Palestinian police force to help secure border areas and disarm the Gaza Strip.
The “international stabilization force” would also work to “permanently disarm non-state armed groups,” protect civilians, and establish humanitarian corridors.
The draft resolution also allows for the creation of a "Peace Council," a transitional governing body for Gaza that would theoretically be headed by Trump, with its mandate extending until the end of 2027.
Unlike previous drafts, this resolution mentions the possibility of a future Palestinian state.
The draft states that once the Palestinian Authority implements the required reforms and begins the reconstruction of Gaza, "conditions may finally be in place for a credible path to Palestinian self-determination and statehood."
This clause was met with strong opposition from Israel.
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at a cabinet meeting on Sunday that "our opposition to a Palestinian state on any territory has not changed."
The vote in the UN Security Council is scheduled for 5:00 PM (10:00 PM GMT) on Monday.
- Russian Opposition -
Russia, which holds veto power, circulated a rival draft resolution to Security Council members, arguing that the American text does not sufficiently support the establishment of a Palestinian state.
The Russian draft resolution, seen by AFP, calls on the Security Council to express its "unwavering commitment to the two-state solution."
It does not call for the establishment of a peace council or the deployment of an international force in Gaza at this time, but rather calls on UN Secretary-General António Guterres to present "options" in this regard.
The United States has intensified its campaign to garner support for its resolution, criticizing any "attempts to sow discord" among Security Council members.
US Ambassador to the UN, Mike Waltz, wrote in The Washington Post that "any refusal to support this resolution is a vote to perpetuate the rule of Hamas terrorists or to return to war with Israel, condemning the region and its people to perpetual conflict."
The United States announced that it has the support of several Arab and Muslim countries and released a joint statement supporting the text, signed by Qatar, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Pakistan, Jordan, and Turkey.
Several diplomats told AFP that despite Russian criticism and the hesitation of some other member states, they expect the US draft resolution to be adopted.
Richard Gowan of the International Crisis Group told AFP, "The Russians know that while many GCC countries will agree to the US plans, they share concerns about the substance of the US text and the way Washington tried to push it through quickly in New York."
However, he doubted that Moscow would veto a resolution supported by Arab countries.
He explained, "I think it's more likely that China and Russia will abstain and register their reservations about the plan, then stand by and watch as the US struggles to implement it."
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