UN Security Council to Vote on US-Backed Gaza Plan — International Force and Transitional 'Board of Peace' Proposed

The UN Security Council is scheduled to vote Monday on a US-drafted resolution that endorses former President Donald Trump's Gaza peace proposal and would authorize the deployment of an International Stabilization Force (ISF). Washington has warned that failure to adopt the text could risk a return to large-scale fighting in the region.

Key provisions

The most recent draft — revised repeatedly after intense negotiations and seen by AFP — formally "endorses" the plan that helped sustain a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas beginning on October 10. It authorizes creation of an ISF that would operate alongside Israel, Egypt and newly trained Palestinian police to secure border areas, demilitarize parts of the Gaza Strip and protect humanitarian corridors.

The ISF would also support the "permanent decommissioning of weapons from non-state armed groups," help safeguard civilians and ensure that aid deliveries can reach vulnerable populations.

Separately, the draft would authorize a transitional governing body for Gaza, dubbed a "Board of Peace," which the text says Trump would theoretically chair. That body would have a mandate running until the end of 2027 and would oversee aspects of administration during the transition period.

Statehood language and Israeli response

Unlike earlier versions, the newest draft explicitly references a possible future Palestinian state. It states that once the Palestinian Authority has implemented requested reforms and Gaza's reconstruction is underway, "the conditions may finally be in place for a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood."

Israel has strongly rejected any language that could be read as opening the door to statehood on territory it controls or contests. "Our opposition to a Palestinian state on any territory has not changed," Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said at a cabinet meeting on Sunday.

Timing

The Security Council vote is scheduled for 5:00 pm (2200 GMT) on Monday.

Russian objections and an alternative draft

Veto-wielding Russia circulated a competing draft that, according to diplomats, argues the US text does not go far enough in affirming the goal of a two-state solution. Moscow's version asks the Council to express an "unwavering commitment to the vision of the two-state solution" but does not immediately authorize a Board of Peace or deployment of an international force. Instead, it asks UN Secretary-General António Guterres to present options on those issues.

The United States has intensified lobbying for its resolution, accusing critics of trying to "sow discord" within the Council. In an opinion piece for The Washington Post, US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz wrote: "Any refusal to back this resolution is a vote either for the continued reign of Hamas terrorists or for the return to war with Israel, condemning the region and its people to perpetual conflict."

Diplomatic dynamics and likely outcome

US officials say the draft has gained the backing of several Arab and Muslim-majority countries; a joint statement supporting the text was published and signed by Qatar, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Pakistan, Jordan and Turkey. Several diplomats told AFP they expect the US text to pass despite Russian objections and reservations from other members.

Richard Gowan of the International Crisis Group noted that while many Council members may agree to the US plan, they have concerns about its substance and the speed with which Washington sought to fast-track it. He said he doubted Moscow would exercise a veto on a resolution backed by Arab states and suggested it was more likely that China and Russia would abstain, signaling skepticism but allowing the text to move forward.

abd/sst/jgc — reporting from AFP