UNITED NATIONS — The UN Security Council has adopted a resolution establishing the “Board of Peace,” an international stabilisation force to oversee Gaza’s governance, reconstruction and security.
The resolution received 13 votes in favour on Monday, with China and Russia abstaining.
Speaking before the vote, US envoy to the UN Mike Waltz told the Council that “today, we have the power to douse the flames and light a path to peace.”
“That path is the draft UN Security Council resolution before us, a bold, pragmatic blueprint born from President (Donald) Trump’s 20-point comprehensive plan to end the Gaza conflict, forged in the fires of diplomacy with Qatar, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the UAE, Türkiye, Pakistan and Indonesia,” he said.
He argued that the resolution “charts a possible pathway for Palestinian self-determination after the Palestinian Authority has completed the necessary reforms, where rockets will give way to olive branches and there is a chance on the political horizon.”
Recalling concerns by the Council as well as Russia’s “counter-draft,” Waltz said: “We hear concerns over mandates, but colleagues’ hesitation here is the true enemy.”
After the vote, he welcomed the adoption and said it “represents another significant step towards a stable Gaza.”
“The Board of Peace, which will be led by President Trump, remains the cornerstone of our effort,” he said, adding that the ISF “will stabilise and secure the security environment, support the demilitarisation of Gaza, dismantle terrorist infrastructure, decommission weapons and maintain the safety of Palestinian civilians.”
Hamas response
Hamas, the Palestinian resistance group, said that the UN resolution failed to respect Palestinians’ “demands and rights”.
“This resolution does not meet the level of our Palestinian people’s political and humanitarian demands and rights,” the group said in a statement.
The resolution states that the BoP and ISF’s “presences authorised by this resolution shall remain authorised until December 31, 2027, subject to further action by the Council, and (that) any further reauthorization of the ISF be in full cooperation and coordination with Egypt and Israel and other Member States continuing to work with the ISF.”
Reactions Pour in As US’ Gaza Plan Wins UNSC Approval
World leaders have reacted to the UN Security Council’s approval of a US-backed Gaza resolution, which aims to establish an international stabilisation force to oversee Gaza’s governance, reconstruction and security.
The resolution got 13 votes in favour, with China and Russia abstaining.
Some welcomed the vote and hailed it as a “path to peace” and an important step to consolidate the ceasefire.
Others expressed concerns, arguing that the resolution lacks clarity.
Here are some of the reactions:
Palestinian Authority
The Palestinian Authority welcomed the resolution in a statement carried by the WAFA news agency, calling for its immediate implementation.
“The State of Palestine tonight welcomed the adoption by the United Nations Security Council of the US draft resolution on Gaza, which affirms the establishment of a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire in the Gaza Strip, the unimpeded delivery of humanitarian assistance, and the Palestinian people’s right to self-determination and the establishment of their independent State,” The Palestinian Authority said in its statement.
“The State of Palestine stressed the urgent need to immediately implement this resolution on the ground, in a manner that ensures the return of normal life, protects our people in the Gaza Strip, prevents displacement, secures the full withdrawal of the occupying forces, enables reconstruction, halts the undermining of the two-state solution, and prevents annexation.”
The Palestinian Authority also said it’s ready to work with the US, UN, EU, Arab and Muslim states to ensure the implementation of the resolution.
Hamas
The Palestinian resistance group Hamas rejected the adoption of the resolution, saying both Palestinians in Gaza and its factions reject it.
“The resolution imposes an international guardianship mechanism on the Gaza Strip, which our people and their factions reject,” it said in a statement.
“Assigning the international force with 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 favour of the occupation,” the group added.
Hamas said that any international force, “if established, must be deployed only at the borders to separate forces, monitor the ceasefire, and must be fully under UN supervision.”
United States
President Donald Trump hailed the adoption of the resolution, saying it will go down as one of the biggest approvals in UN history.
“Congratulations to the World on the incredible Vote of the United Nations Security Council, just moments ago, acknowledging and endorsing the board of peace, which will be chaired by me, and include the most powerful and respected Leaders throughout the World,” Trump said on his Truth Social platform.
“This will go down as one of the biggest approvals in the History of the United Nations, will lead to further Peace all over the World, and is a moment of true Historic proportion!” he said.
Trump also said that “the members of the Board, and many more exciting announcements, will be made in the coming weeks.”
United Nations
UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres also welcomed the adoption, saying it’s an important step to consolidate the ceasefire.
“The adoption of the resolution on Gaza by the Security Council is an important step in the consolidation of the ceasefire, which the Secretary-General encourages all parties to abide by,” said his spokesperson, Stephane Dujarric, in a statement.
Urging diplomatic efforts to match concrete action, Guterres said: “It is essential now to translate the diplomatic momentum into concrete and urgently needed steps on the ground.”
“The United Nations is committed to implementing the roles entrusted to it in the resolution, scaling up humanitarian assistance to meet the needs of civilians in Gaza and supporting all efforts to move the parties toward the next phase of the ceasefire,” he said.
Russia
Russia’s UN envoy Vassily Nebenzia argued that “key components” related to legal matters were not taken into consideration.
“It also lacks any clarity about the time frames for transfer to the Palestinian Authority of control over Gaza, any certainty surrounding the board of peace and the national stabilisation force the ISF, which, according to the text of the resolution we adopted, would appear to be able to act absolutely autonomously, without any regard for the position or the opinion of Ramallah,” he added.
He further argued that the resolution “is reminiscent of colonial practices and the League of Nations, British Mandate for Palestine, when the opinion of Palestinians themselves was not taken into account.”
China
China’s UN envoy Fu Cong shared similar concerns and said the resolution is “lacking in many respects and is deeply worrisome,” describing it as “vague and unclear on many critical elements.”
“The draft resolution outlines post-war governance arrangements for Gaza, but it seems Palestine is barely visible in it, and Palestinian sovereignty and ownership are not fully reflected,” he said.
SOURCE:TRT World & Agencies
