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The United Nations Security Council has voted in favor of a US-drafted resolution supporting Donald Trump’s 20-point plan for Gaza.
The plan includes the establishment of the International Stabilization Force (ISF), to which the United States says multiple unnamed countries have expressed willingness to contribute.
The resolution was supported by 13 countries, including the United Kingdom, France and Somalia, with no country voting against it. Russia and China abstained from the vote.
Hamas rejected the resolution, saying it failed to meet Palestinian rights and demands.
The group said on Telegram that the plan “establishes an international custody mechanism in the Gaza Strip, but our people and their factions reject it”.
“Assigning tasks and roles to international forces within the Gaza Strip includes disarming resistance forces, stripping them of their neutrality and turning them into a party to the conflict that supports the occupation,” the statement added.
According to reports in the latest draft, part of the International Security Forces’ mandate is to work on “the permanent decommissioning of weapons by non-state armed groups, including Hamas,” as well as protecting civilians and humanitarian aid routes.
This would require Hamas, which is listed as a terrorist organization by Britain, to hand over its weapons – a purpose of Trump’s peace plan.
In addition to authorizing Israeli security forces, which are said to be working with Gaza’s southern neighbors Israel and Egypt, the draft also calls for the creation of a newly trained Palestinian police force in Gaza.
Until now, police there have been operating under the authority of Hamas.
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Walz told the Security Council that international security forces would be “responsible for ensuring security in the area, supporting the demilitarization of Gaza, dismantling terrorist infrastructure, clearing weapons and ensuring the safety of Palestinian civilians.”
The first phase of the plan – a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas and the transfer of hostages and detainees – came into effect on 10 October. Waltz describes it as a “fragile, fragile first step.”
The ISF is a centerpiece of Trump’s plan, which also includes the establishment of a so-called peace council, expected to be personally led by the US president.
Under the resolution, funding for Gaza’s reconstruction after two years of war will come from a World Bank-backed trust fund.
The draft also raises the possibility of establishing a Palestinian state – something Israel strongly opposes. Under pressure from leading Arab states, a path to future statehood was included.
Trump’s peace plan effectively halts fighting between Israel and Hamas, which has been raging since Hamas-led gunmen attacked Israel on October 7, 2023. In that attack, approximately 1,200 people were killed and 251 were taken hostage.
Since then, more than 69,483 Palestinians have been killed as a result of Israeli military operations in Gaza, according to the Hamas-run Health Ministry.
