Security Council Approves Trump's Plan for Gaza

The UN Security Council on Monday approved President Trump's peace plan for Gaza, a diplomatic victory for the US that provides a legal international mandate for rebuilding Gaza after two years of fighting. The resolution, which incorporates Trump's 20-point ceasefire proposal, passed with 13 votes in favor and none against, the New York Times reports. Russia and China abstained. "This will go down as one of the biggest approvals in the History of the United Nations, will lead to further Peace all over the World, and is a moment of true Historic proportion!" Trump posted on social media, per the AP.

Hamas quickly denounced the plan in a post on Telegram, per the Guardian. "The resolution imposes an international guardianship mechanism on the Gaza Strip, which our people and their factions reject," the post said. The plan establishes an International Stabilization Force tasked with entering, demilitarizing, and governing Gaza. It also calls for the creation of a "Board of Peace" to oversee the transition, though details about its membership and authority remain unclear. The resolution states that, should the Palestinian Authority implement reforms and make reconstruction progress, conditions might be set for Palestinian self-determination and statehood. However, the lack of explicit language on Palestinian statehood drew criticism from several council members and objections from Israel, whose Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reaffirmed opposition to a Palestinian state. Several members that voted yes nevertheless said they'll be watching for progress on the issue, per the Washington Post.

The Stabilization Force is expected to dismantle Hamas' military infrastructure, but countries likely to contribute troops are concerned about potential clashes with Palestinian militants and the risk of alienating Arab public opinion, per the Times. The US sought UN authorization at the request of these countries, which did not want their involvement seen as an occupation. The resolution also allows the World Bank to fund Gaza's reconstruction and mandates that a technocratic committee of local Palestinians handle day-to-day governance, with oversight from the Board of Peace through at least 2027. The measure was debated for nearly two weeks, per the AP. Richard Gowan, the UN director of the International Crisis Group, a conflict-preventing organization, called the vote "a diplomatic victory for Trump but also a recognition that the UN matters."