New Delhi: The UN Security Council has adopted a US Resolution detailing the mandate for the Gaza International Stabilisation Force (ISF) outlined in American President Donald Trump’s ceasefire plan.
The resolution, which includes references to an independent Palestine, was passed by a vote of 13-0 with China and Russia abstaining. Interestingly, Pakistan voted in favour of the resolution.
This will not be a UN Peacekeeping Force but a peace enforcement force.
The US envoy to the UN, Mike Waltz, told the Council chamber that the passing of the resolution charted “a new course in the Middle East for Israelis and Palestinians and all the people of the region alike”.
The inclusion of references to an independent Palestine is the compromise that Trump had to make for backing from the Arab and Islamic world countries, who are expected to provide peacekeepers for an international stabilisation force (ISF).
The reference to Palestinian statehood was an addition to an initial US draft which did not mention it. However, the wordings are vague since it refers to promising only that once the Palestinian Authority has reformed itself and the rebuilding of Gaza is under way, “the conditions may finally be in place for a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood.”
On the eve of the UN vote, Israel Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu restated his government’s adamant opposition to the creation of a Palestinian state, raising questions on whether Israel will allow the implementation of the UN-mandated proposals.
As expected, Hamas rejected what it described as an imposed “international guardianship mechanism” and insisted it would not disarm.
In explaining Russia’s decision to abstain, Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya said the Council was in essence “giving its blessing to a US initiative on the basis of Washington’s promises,” and “giving complete control over the Gaza Strip to the Board of Peace and the ISF, the modalities of which we know nothing about so far.”
The text of the resolution says member states can take part in the Board of Peace envisioned as a transitional authority that would oversee reconstruction and economic recovery of Gaza. It also authorises the international stabilisation force, which would ensure a process of demilitarising Gaza, including by decommissioning weapons and destroying military infrastructure. Trump’s 20-point plan is included as an annex to the resolution.
The establishment of a Board of Peace (BoP) as a “transitional governance administration” in Gaza and authorises the BoP to establish a temporary International Stabilization Force (ISF) in the enclave, were first outlined in the “Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict” (also known as the “20-point plan”) that Trump announced in late September.
According to media reports, the US aims to deploy the first ISF contingents by January 2026, envisioning a peace enforcement mission—rather than a peacekeeping presence—with a total troop size of approximately 20,000.
The US is apparently in talks with several countries including Azerbaijan, Egypt, Indonesia, Qatar, and Türkiye about contributing personnel to the force, which would not be a UN operation, Security Council Report, a think tank said.
(Edited by Tony Rai)
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