UN Security Council votes 13-0 for US-drafted Gaza resolution authorising international force and pathway to Palestinian statehood, with Russia and China abstaining.
UNITED NATIONS: The UN Security Council has approved a US-drafted resolution strengthening Donald Trump’s Gaza peace initiative, including deployment of an international force and a potential pathway to Palestinian statehood.
Thirteen council members voted in favour of the measure on Monday, with only Russia and China abstaining but not using their veto powers.
US President Trump declared the vote would “go down as one of the biggest approvals in the History of the United Nations” in a social media post.
He claimed the resolution would “lead to further Peace all over the World.”
US ambassador Mike Waltz described the resolution as “another significant step that will enable Gaza to prosper and an environment that will allow Israel to live in security.”
Hamas rejected the measure, stating it failed to meet Palestinian “political and humanitarian demands and rights.”
The extensively negotiated text endorses Trump’s peace plan, which enabled a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas to take effect on October 10.
The Gaza Strip lies largely in ruins following two years of conflict triggered by Hamas’s October 7, 2023 attack on Israel.
The resolution authorises creation of an International Stabilization Force to collaborate with Israel, Egypt and newly trained Palestinian police.
This force will secure border areas, demilitarise Gaza and work toward “permanent decommissioning of weapons from non-state armed groups.”
It also mandates civilian protection and security for humanitarian aid corridors.
The plan establishes a “Board of Peace” transitional governing body for Gaza, theoretically chaired by Trump, with authority running through 2027.
The resolution includes convoluted language about potential Palestinian statehood, suggesting conditions might eventually support “a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood.”
Israel has firmly rejected any Palestinian statehood.
The measure calls for scaled-up humanitarian aid deliveries through UN and Red Cross agencies.
British ambassador James Kariuki emphasised the need to “open all crossings and ensure that aid agencies and international NGOs can operate without obstruction.”
Israeli ambassador Danny Danon said the resolution would “make sure that Hamas will not pose a threat against Israel anymore.”
Russia circulated an alternative draft seeking stronger commitment to Palestinian statehood without immediately authorising an international force or Board of Peace.
Moscow’s ambassador Vasily Nebenzya criticised the US document as “yet another pig in a poke” that gives “complete control over the Gaza strip to the Board of Peace.”
The US secured support from several Arab and Muslim-majority nations including Qatar, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, UAE, Indonesia, Pakistan, Jordan and Turkey. – AFP
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