U.N. Security Council approves U.S. Gaza stabilization force plan : NPR

UNITED NATIONS — The Trump administration's plan to secure and manage the Gaza Strip received strong approval from the United Nations on Monday, a crucial step that provides international support for U.S. efforts to move the devastated territory toward peace after two years of war.

The US resolution adopted by the UN Security Council authorizes an international stabilization force to provide security in Gaza, approves a transitional authority overseen by President Donald Trump and outlines a possible future path to an independent Palestinian state.

“This will go down in history as one of the largest endorsements in the history of the United Nations, will lead to further world peace and will be a moment of truly historic proportions!” Trump posted a message on social media.

The vote endorses Trump's 20-point ceasefire plan and builds on the momentum of a fragile ceasefire he helped negotiate with allies. It marks the next key step in American efforts to determine Gaza's future after Israel's war with Hamas destroyed much of the territory and killed tens of thousands of people.

The proposal calls for the creation of a yet-to-be-established Peace Council as a transition body to be led by Trump. It also provides a broad mandate to the international stabilization force, including border surveillance, security and territorial demilitarization. The board and power expire at the end of 2027.

Arab and other Muslim countries that have expressed interest in contributing troops to the international force have made it clear that their participation requires UN permission.

Russia, which circulated a competing resolution, abstained along with China in the 13-0 vote over concerns that Moscow could use its veto in the Security Council.

However, Hamas opposed the resolution, saying in a statement that it did not meet the “political and humanitarian demands and rights of the Palestinian people.”

Stronger language on Palestinian state helps push US agenda through

US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz said the resolution “represents another important step towards a stable Gaza that can prosper and an environment that allows Israel to live in security.”

This came after nearly two weeks of negotiations in which Arab countries and Palestinians demanded stronger language from the United States on Palestinian self-determination.

But the proposal still does not specify a time frame or guarantees for the creation of an independent state, saying only that it would be possible following progress in rebuilding the Gaza Strip and reform of the Palestinian Authority, which now governs parts of the West Bank.

The US revised the resolution, saying that with these steps, “the conditions for a credible path to Palestinian self-determination and statehood may finally emerge.”

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

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opposes Palestinian statehood and repeated that position on Sunday as his hardline governing partners expressed concern about the resolution's endorsement of a “path” to Palestinian independence.

Israel's U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon told reporters before the vote that Israel was grateful to Trump “for bringing peace to the Middle East.”

Algeria's U.N. ambassador Amar Benjama, the Arab representative on the council, thanked Trump for his important role in securing the ceasefire but said that “genuine peace in the Middle East cannot be achieved without justice, justice for the Palestinian people.”

Key to the resolution's passage was support from Arab and other Muslim countries, which played a critical role in the ceasefire and could potentially contribute to the international force. The U.S. mission to the United Nations issued a joint statement Friday with Qatar, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Pakistan, Jordan and Turkey calling for the “swift acceptance” of the U.S. proposal.

Russia's U.N. Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya said Moscow took note of the support but refrained because the resolution did not include a role for the Security Council and did not strongly support Palestinian statehood.

The vote bolsters hopes that a fragile ceasefire in Gaza will be maintained after the war started by Hamas' surprise attack on southern Israel on October 7, 2023, which killed about 1,200 people. More than 69,000 Palestinians have been killed in the Israeli offensive, according to Gaza's health ministry, which does not distinguish between civilians and combatants but says the majority are women and children.

What else does the US proposal say?

Trump said members of the Peace Council would be named in the coming weeks and there would be “many other exciting announcements.”

The US resolution calls on stabilization forces to ensure “the process of demilitarization of the Gaza Strip” and “the permanent decommissioning of the weapons of non-state armed groups.”

The big question is how to disarm Hamas, which said Monday that giving the force a role inside the Gaza Strip, including disarmament, “deprives it of its neutrality and turns it into a party to the conflict in favor of the occupation.”

The resolution authorizes the force to “use all necessary measures to carry out its mandate” in accordance with international law, which is the UN language for the use of military force.

It said stabilization troops would help secure border areas along with Palestinian police, whom they have trained and vetted, and they would coordinate with other countries to ensure the flow of humanitarian aid. It said the force should consult and cooperate closely with neighboring Egypt and Israel.

Once international forces have established control, the resolution states that Israeli forces will withdraw from the Gaza Strip “based on the standards, milestones and timelines associated with demilitarization.” They must be agreed upon by the stabilization forces, Israeli forces, the United States and the ceasefire guarantors, the document says.