Diplomatic breakthrough: UNSC approves Trump's Gaza peace plan; what's next for Palestinian statehood?
The United Nations Security Council on Monday approved President Trump’s peace plan for Gaza, marking a significant diplomatic breakthrough that provides an international mandate for the administration’s proposal to move beyond the ceasefire and begin rebuilding the war-torn Gaza Strip after two years of conflict.
The United States–sponsored resolution outlines a detailed framework for stabilisation, demilitarisation and reconstruction and introduces new structures intended to guide Gaza’s political and security future.
A central pillar of the plan is the creation of an International Stabilisation Force, which is intended to take responsibility for Gaza once Israeli troops withdraw. The United States has stated that several countries have already signalled a willingness to contribute personnel.
The force is assigned wide-ranging duties, including securing the territory, supporting its demilitarisation, dismantling armed groups’ infrastructure, removing weapons and ensuring the safety of Palestinian civilians. Drafts of the resolution indicate that one of its core tasks will be the permanent decommissioning of weapons held by non-state armed groups, including Hamas. This requirement aligns with Trump’s plan, which stipulates that Hamas must surrender its weapons.
The International Stabilisation Force is intended to work in coordination with Israel and Egypt. Alongside the force, the resolution calls for the creation of a new Palestinian police service to operate in Gaza, replacing the police structure previously overseen by Hamas.
The reconstruction will be funded through a trust managed by the World Bank. Oversight of the wider political and reconstruction strategy will be handled by a new supervisory body called the Board of Peace. The resolution does not specify its full composition, although Trump is expected to chair it.
Russia and China abstained during the vote, stating that the text lacked clarity on several core issues. Both governments argued that Washington had failed to provide sufficient detail regarding the Board of Peace, the plan’s political end state and the extent to which Palestinian self-determination would shape Gaza’s future governance. Russia’s ambassador described the decision as a sorrowful day for the Security Council and accused the United States of pressuring members to secure the result.
Hamas reacted sharply and rejected the plan in its entirety. The group argued that the resolution does not respect Palestinian rights or demands and that it effectively supports continued Israeli occupation. Its leadership condemned the proposal for an International Stabilisation Force, characterising it as an attempt to impose international trusteeship on Gaza.
Hamas argued that the force’s mandate to disarm armed groups undermines any claim to neutrality and effectively makes the force a participant in the conflict. The group stated that it will not accept foreign control inside Gaza and insisted that any international force should be confined to border areas, operate only to monitor a ceasefire and remain entirely under United Nations authority. Although the resolution provides for Hamas to disarm, the organisation has given no indication that it will comply.
The resolution also refers to a possible path towards Palestinian statehood. This language was included at the insistence of Arab states and several European members of the Security Council. While it falls short of a firm commitment, it promises that once the Palestinian Authority implements reforms and reconstruction progresses, conditions may emerge for a credible route to Palestinian self-determination. Algeria supported the resolution on the grounds that it planted the seeds of eventual Palestinian sovereignty.
The Israeli government strongly opposes any step towards a Palestinian state. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu declared before the vote that his government would resist all attempts to establish such a state. After the resolution passed, he reaffirmed that Israel’s opposition to Palestinian statehood has not changed at all.
Netanyahu argued that creating a Palestinian state would reward Hamas and could eventually lead to a larger and more dangerous entity on Israel’s borders. He insisted that no Palestinian state will ever emerge on what he calls the lands of Israel’s homeland. Facing pressure from far-right members of his coalition, Netanyahu publicly rejected the resolution’s statehood language even though he had reportedly agreed to it in private discussions with Washington. His stance raises questions about whether Israel will cooperate with the implementation of proposals linked to Palestinian political rights.
Following the Security Council vote, Trump posted a celebratory message on Truth Social: “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.”
Middle East