THE United Nations Security Council has endorsed a United States-drafted resolution backing President Donald Trump’s plan to end the war in Gaza and authorising the deployment of an international stabilisation force, despite firm rejection from Hamas and abstentions from Russia and China.
Adopted in New York on Monday, the measure lends international legitimacy to a transitional governance structure for Gaza and seeks to reassure states weighing contributions to the proposed force. Israel and Hamas last month accepted the first phase of Trump’s 20-point plan, comprising a ceasefire in their two-year conflict and a hostage-release arrangement, but Washington has argued that UN approval is essential to advance reconstruction and political transition.
Reuters reported on Tuesday that, according to the resolution, UN member states may participate in the Trump-led Board of Peace, a transitional authority mandated to supervise Gaza’s recovery and economic rehabilitation.
It also empowers an international stabilisation force tasked with overseeing the demilitarisation of Gaza, including the decommissioning of weapons and dismantling of military infrastructure.
Hamas, in a statement issued after the vote, reiterated that it would not disarm, insisting that its confrontation with Israel constitutes legitimate resistance.
“The resolution imposes an international guardianship mechanism on the Gaza Strip, which our people and their factions reject,” the group said, signalling a potential clash with the force authorised by the UN.
Mike Waltz, the US ambassador to the UN, told the council that the resolution, which appends Trump’s full 20-point plan, “charts a possible pathway for Palestinian self-determination ... where rockets will give way to olive branches and there is a chance to agree on a political horizon.”
He added: “It dismantles Hamas’ grip, it ensures Gaza rises free from terror’s shadow, prosperous and secure.”
Russia had earlier suggested it might oppose the text but ultimately abstained, permitting its passage. China also abstained.
The Palestinian Authority, which had endorsed the measure last week in a move diplomats say helped avert a Russian veto, welcomed the council’s decision and declared itself ready to participate in its implementation.
The prospect of eventual Palestinian statehood referenced in the resolution has provoked controversy within Israel.
The text states that “conditions may finally be in place for a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood” once the Palestinian Authority has enacted its reform programme and Gaza’s reconstruction is underway.
It also commits the United States to establishing a dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians “to agree on a political horizon for peaceful and prosperous coexistence.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, under pressure from right-wing members of his governing coalition, responded on Sunday that Israel remained opposed to a Palestinian state and vowed to demilitarise Gaza “the easy way or the hard way.” - November 18, 2025
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