UN Security Council to vote on international stabilization in Gaza

• UN Security Council to vote Monday on a US-backed plan tied to Trump’s Gaza proposal.
• Draft resolution would authorize an International Stabilization Force and a new governing body.
• Text hints at a future Palestinian state, drawing firm opposition from 'Israel'.
• Russia pushes a rival draft emphasizing an immediate two-state commitment.

The UN Security Council is preparing for a pivotal vote on Monday over a US-led resolution that would give formal weight to Donald Trump’s Gaza peace blueprint, a plan centered on deploying an international force and reshaping governance in the devastated enclave. Washington has warned that inaction could set the stage for renewed violence.

The text, refined through days of tense negotiations, formally “endorses” Trump’s proposal, which paved the way for a fragile ceasefire between 'Israel' and Hamas on October 10.

International force and transition plan

According to the latest draft seen by Agence France-Presse (AFP), the resolution would authorize an International Stabilization Force (ISF) working alongside 'Israel', Egypt, and newly trained Palestinian police units. The mission would secure border zones, demilitarize the strip, and oversee the “permanent decommissioning of weapons from non-state armed groups.” It would also be tasked with protecting civilians and ensuring that humanitarian corridors remain open.

Read more: Palestinian factions warn against US draft resolution on Gaza at UN Security Council

The plan further envisions a transitional governing council called the “Board of Peace,” theoretically chaired by Trump, with a mandate stretching through the end of 2027.

UN member states participating in the Peace Council, and the Council itself, would be authorized to:

• Implement a transitional governance framework, including supervision of a non-political Palestinian technocratic committee composed of qualified Gazans, supported by the Arab League, responsible for daily civil administration.
• Oversee reconstruction and economic recovery programs.
• Coordinate public services and humanitarian assistance.
• Facilitate civilian movement in and out of Gaza in line with the comprehensive plan.
• Conduct any additional tasks deemed necessary for implementing the plan.

Many details remain vague, including who sets priorities, selects beneficiaries, or supervises implementation. The UN itself is positioned largely outside the core decision-making process, which is instead placed in the hands of a body composed mainly of non-Palestinian actors.

The draft calls on the World Bank and other financial institutions to provide financial support for reconstruction through a dedicated trust fund managed by donor states.

Debate over statehood and competing proposals

In a significant shift from earlier versions, the draft references the possibility of a future Palestinian state. It argues that once the Palestinian Authority implements required reforms and reconstruction begins in Gaza, “the conditions may finally be in place for a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood.”

'Israel' sharply rejected that trajectory. “Our opposition to a Palestinian state on any territory has not changed,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Sunday.

The Security Council is scheduled to vote at 5 PM (2200 GMT). But Russia, a veto-holding member, has introduced a counterproposal criticizing the US draft for falling short on committing to statehood. Moscow’s version calls for the Council to express its “unwavering commitment to the vision of the two-state solution” while asking UN Secretary-General António Guterres to present future options for an international force or transitional body.

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Washington has launched an aggressive campaign to secure support, denouncing what it called efforts to “sow discord” within the Council. “Any refusal to back this resolution is a vote either for the continued reign of Hamas terrorists or for the return to war with Israel, condemning the region and its people to perpetual conflict,” US ambassador Mike Waltz wrote in The Washington Post.

The United States published a joint statement showing support from several Arab and Muslim-majority countries, Qatar, Egypt, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Pakistan, Jordan, and Turkey, bolstering the resolution’s diplomatic weight.

Despite objections from Moscow and concerns among other states, several diplomats told AFP they anticipate the US text will pass. Richard Gowan of the International Crisis Group said Russia appears unlikely to veto a resolution backed by Arab governments. “I think it is more likely that China and Russia will abstain, register their skepticism about the plan and then sit back and watch the US struggle to put it into action,” he said.