The UN Security Council has backed a US-drafted resolution endorsing former President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan for Gaza. Thirteen countries, including the UK, France, and Somalia, voted in favor, while Russia and China abstained.
The resolution calls for an International Stabilisation Force (ISF) to work with Israel, Egypt, and a newly trained Palestinian police force to secure border areas and disarm non-state armed groups, including Hamas. Mike Waltz, the US ambassador to the UN, said the force would “secure the area, dismantle terrorist infrastructure, remove weapons, and ensure the safety of Palestinian civilians.”
It also establishes a transitional governance body, the Board of Peace (BoP), to oversee Gaza’s reconstruction and humanitarian aid, funded through a World Bank-backed trust fund.
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Hamas rejected the plan, calling it “an international guardianship mechanism on the Gaza Strip” that undermines Palestinian rights.
Trump called the Security Council vote “historic” and highlighted the resolution’s recognition of a pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood. The UN Secretary-General’s spokesperson stressed that the plan must lead to “concrete and urgently needed steps on the ground” and advance a political process toward a two-state solution.
The resolution follows a ceasefire that began on 10 October, after Hamas attacks on Israel on 7 October 2023, which killed over 1,200 people and took 251 hostages. Since then, more than 69,000 Palestinians have reportedly died in Israeli military operations in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run health ministry.