Explanation of Vote Following the Adoption of a U.S. Drafted UN Security Council Resolution on the Situation in the Middle East

By United States Mission to the United Nations

November 17, 2025

Ambassador Mike Waltz U.S. Representative to the United Nations New York, New York

AS DELIVERED

Thank you, Mr. President, and thank you to the Council members for this historic and constructive resolution. Thank you for joining us in charting a new course in the Middle East, for Israelis and Palestinians and all the people of the region alike.

I would like to additionally thank our partners from the President’s meeting during High-Level Week – Egypt, Qatar, Jordan, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Türkiye, Indonesia, and Pakistan. We have all bound together, recognizing the urgency of the situation and for swift adoption to deny Hamas any opportunity to reconstitute and to ensure that the people of Gaza can be fed.

Today’s resolution represents another significant step towards a stable Gaza that will be able to prosper, and an environment that will allow Israel to live in security.

The Board of Peace, which will be led by President Trump, remains the cornerstone of our effort.

The Board will coordinate the delivery of humanitarian assistance, facilitate Gaza’s development, and support a technocratic committee of Palestinians responsible for day-to-day operations of Gaza’s civil service and administration while the Palestinian Authority fully implements its reform program.

The resolution today provides troop-contributing countries with the framework they need for moving forward with the International Stabilization Force and global financial institutions the mechanisms they need for channeling investment, respectively. The former will support a region free from Hamas’ grip; and the latter, Gaza’s reconstruction and development.

The path to prosperity, colleagues, requires security first. Security is the oxygen that governance, that development needs to live and to thrive. The International Stabilization Force will stabilize the security environment—support the demilitarization of Gaza, dismantle terrorist infrastructure, decommission weapons, and maintain the safety of Palestinian civilians.

We believe that the investment that will follow adoption today will revitalize Gaza’s economy, providing Palestinians with an opportunity instead of saddling them with perpetual reliance on aid.

We look forward to working alongside the World Bank to that end, as it supports Gaza’s long-term redevelopment even as we address the immediate and dire humanitarian needs.

President Trump’s historic 20 Point Plan marked the beginning of what will be a strong, stable, and prosperous region united in rejecting the path of violence, hatred, and terror. Colleagues—and I say this to the world—This resolution today is just the beginning.

And the adoption of this resolution today demonstrates the overwhelming support for the President’s vision for a stable Gaza where Palestinians determine their own destiny, free from terrorist rule and violence.

And under President Trump’s bold leadership, the United States will continue to deliver results, alongside our many partners. We will seize the opportunity today to end decades of bloodshed and make lasting peace a reality.

And we will work tirelessly with our partners, as we have over the last several months, to advance this vision for a more stable and prosperous Middle East.

I thank you, Mr. President.

Explanation of Vote Following the Adoption of a U.S. Drafted UN Security Council Resolution on the Situation in the Middle East - United States Mission to the United Nations 

Resolutions | Security Council

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Hamdan rejects Trump’s Gaza plan, says it aims to end Palestinian question

Tuesday 18-November-2025

BEIRUT, (PIC)

Senior 'Hamas official Osama 'Hamdan has expressed rejection of the US draft resolution to deploy a multinational force in the Gaza Strip under president Donald Trump’s plan to end the war, warning that “it serves Israeli attempts to eliminate the Palestinian cause.”

“The plan does not aim to protect the Palestinian people from genocide, but rather seeks to establish a force that replaces the occupation in the Gaza Strip. It eliminates any prospect of establishing a Palestinian state and strengthens Palestinians’ conviction that resistance is the path to ending the occupation,” 'Hamdan said in a statement on Monday.

“We reject being cornered into a choice between death and surrender,” 'Hamdan stressed.

“The US proposal contradicts international charters and resolutions and ignores the fact that the occupation is the root of the problem. I consider its adoption a dangerous precedent that demonstrates the dominance of force over international legitimacy,” the Hamas official added.

He said that the Arab-Islamic model presented by Egypt was “the most suitable framework for managing the Gaza Strip,” stressing that the issue of the resistance’s weapons was never on the agenda of the Sharm El-Shaikh negotiations.

Resolutions | Security Council

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UNSC adopts US plan for Gaza, 'Hamas says international force will become party to conflict

Tuesday 18-November-2025

GAZA, (PIC)

The UN Security Council (UNSC) adopted on Monday a US-drafted resolution endorsing president Donald Trump’s plan to end the war in Gaza and authorizing an international stabilization force for the Palestinian enclave.

The 'Hamas Movement has rejected the resolution, saying it failed to meet Palestinians’ rights and demands and sought to impose an international mandate on the enclave that Palestinians and resistance factions oppose.

The resolution, drafted by the US as part of Trump’s 20-point peace plan, passed in a 13-0 vote on Monday, while Russia and China abstained from the vote.

The text of the resolution says member states can take part in the Trump-chaired board of peace envisioned as a transitional authority that would oversee reconstruction and economic recovery of Gaza. It also authorizes the international stabilization force to demilitarize Gaza.

Notably, the resolution also contains a reference to Palestinian statehood, but it provides no timeline for it.

“After the (Palestinian Authority) reform program is faithfully carried out and Gaza redevelopment has advanced, the conditions may finally be in place for a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood,” the resolution said.

“The US will establish a dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians to agree on a political horizon for peaceful and prosperous coexistence,” it added.

After Monday’s vote, Hamas said that giving any stabilization force “tasks and roles inside the Gaza Strip, including disarming the resistance, strips it of its neutrality and turns it into a party to the conflict.”

“Any international force, if established, must be deployed only at the borders to separate forces, monitor the ceasefire, and must be fully under UN supervision,” Hamas added.

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Palestinian factions warn US proposal would enforce ‘regulated occupation’ in Gaza

Monday 17-November-2025

Link copied! + -

GAZA, (PIC)

Palestinian political factions and senior leaders are warning that a US-backed draft resolution to deploy an international force in Gaza risks creating a “regulated occupation” under United Nations cover, reshaping the Strip’s political future while ignoring Palestinian rights.

The draft resolution, expected to be put to a vote at the UN Security Council, has triggered sharp criticism from Islamic Jihad Deputy Secretary-General Mohammad al-Hindi and from a coalition of Palestinian resistance factions.

Al-Hindi told Al Jazeera Mubashir that the proposal “lays the foundations for a legalized occupation” by allowing the US to assume direct influence over Gaza’s future. He said the current language uses “vague and elastic terms” designed to appease Arab and Islamic states but offering no real protection for Palestinians.

He warned that the resolution threatens to create new “rules of engagement” that could lead to dividing Gaza or isolating it from the Palestinian national landscape. Washington’s references to a Palestinian state, he added, remain “ambiguous” and provide no guarantees for linking Gaza with the West Bank.

Al-Hindi stressed that no international force should replace the Israeli occupation inside Gaza, noting that an undefined mission could quickly become a “peace council performing the duties of a regulated occupation.” He added that most states have already shown no willingness to participate because the proposal lacks clarity on roles, responsibilities and structure.

He confirmed that Islamic Jihad has sent detailed objections to mediators and Security Council members, warning that passing the resolution could impose new security and administrative arrangements outside Palestinian control.

Separately, Palestinian resistance factions issued a joint statement calling on regional and international actors, particularly Algeria, which is a current Security Council member and which they praised for its historic support, to oppose the US plan. They described the initiative as an attempt to impose a new form of foreign guardianship over Gaza’s future under the pretext of stabilization.

The factions insisted that any foreign force, regardless of name or mandate, constitutes a violation of Palestinian sovereignty and prolongs the suffering of the people in Gaza.

They argued that true security can only be achieved by ending the occupation, lifting the siege, and respecting Palestinians’ inherent right to self-determination.

The groups urged Arab and Islamic nations, along with global civil society, to reject “any formula of guardianship or external intervention” and defend Gaza’s right to freedom, dignity and independence.

The UN vote is scheduled for Monday amid widening international disagreement over the purpose of the proposed force, and whether it would help halt the genocide or open a new chapter of regional confrontation inside Gaza.

***

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Full text of the US resolution for Gaza approved by the UN Security Council

By MEE staff, November 18, 2025

The UN Security Council approved US President Donald Trump's 20-point plan for Gaza on Monday, which backs the creation of  an international stabilization force and also supports a possible "pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood" if certain targets are met.

The resolution, which passed by a vote of 13-0 with abstentions by China and Russia, will place Donald Trump in supreme control of Gaza, and see his "board of peace" oversee multinational peacekeeping troops, a committee of Palestinian technocrats and a local police force, for a period of two years.

It's unclear who else will be on the "board of peace" but Trump has declared on social media that it will "be chaired by me, and include the most powerful and respected Leaders throughout the World".

The resolution says the stabilisation troops will help secure border areas along with a trained and vetted Palestinian police force and they will coordinate with other countries to secure the flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza. 

It says the force should closely consult and cooperate with neighbouring Egypt and Israel.

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It also calls for the stabilisation force to ensure "the process of demilitarising the Gaza Strip" and "the permanent decommissioning of weapons from non-state armed groups". The resolution authorises the force to "use all necessary measures to carry out its mandate".

The full text of Trump's 20-point plan to end the war in Gaza Read More »

Hamas, which has not accepted disarmament, rejected the resolution, saying it failed to meet Palestinians' rights and demands and sought to impose an international trusteeship on the enclave that Palestinians and resistance factions oppose.

"Assigning the international force with tasks and roles inside the Gaza Strip, including disarming the resistance, strips it of its neutrality, and turns it into a party to the conflict in favour of the occupation," the group said.

The resolution says Israeli forces would withdraw from Gaza "based on standards, milestones, and timeframes linked to demilitarisation," which would be agreed by the stabilisation force, Israeli forces, the US and the guarantors of the ceasefire.

The resolution, using vague and non-committal language, also says that if the Palestinian Authority reforms itself "faithfully" and Gaza's reconstruction advances, the "conditions may be in place for a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood".

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The text of the resolution is as follows:

Resolution 2803 (2025): Adopted by the Security Council at its 10046th meeting,

on 17 November 2025

The United Nations Security Council,

Welcoming the Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict of 29 September 2025 (“Comprehensive Plan”), and applauding the states that have signed, accepted, or endorsed it, and further welcoming the historic Trump Declaration for Enduring Peace and Prosperity of 13 October 2025 and the constructive role played by the United States of America, the State of Qatar, the Arab Republic of Egypt, and the Republic of Türkiye, in having facilitated the ceasefire in the Gaza Strip,

Determining that the situation in the Gaza Strip threatens the regional peace and the security of neighboring states and noting prior relevant Security Council resolutions relating to the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question,

1. Endorses the Comprehensive Plan, acknowledges the parties have accepted it, and calls on all parties to implement it in its entirety, including maintenance of the ceasefire, in good faith and without delay;

2. Welcomes the establishment of the Board of Peace (BoP) as a transitional administration with international legal personality that will set the framework, and coordinate funding, for the redevelopment of Gaza pursuant to the Comprehensive Plan, and in a manner consistent with relevant international legal principles, until such time as the Palestinian Authority (PA) has satisfactorily completed its reform program, as outlined in various proposals, including President Trump’s peace plan in 2020 and the Saudi-French Proposal, and can securely and effectively take back control of Gaza. After the PA reform program is faithfully carried out and Gaza redevelopment has advanced, the conditions may finally be in place for a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood. The United States will establish a dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians to agree on a political horizon for peaceful and prosperous coexistence;

3. Underscores the importance of the full resumption of humanitarian aid in cooperation with the BoP into the Gaza Strip in a manner consistent with relevant international legal principles and through cooperating organizations, including the United Nations, the International Committee of the Red Cross, and the Red Crescent, and ensuring such aid is used solely for peaceful uses and not diverted by armed groups;

4. Authorizes Member States participating in the BoP and the BoP to: (A) enter into such arrangements as may be necessary to achieve the objectives of the Comprehensive Plan, including those addressing privileges and immunities of personnel of the force established in paragraph 7 below; and (B) establish operational entities with, as necessary, international legal personality and transactional authorities for the performance of its functions, including: (1) the implementation of a transitional governance administration, including the supervising and supporting of a Palestinian technocratic, apolitical committee of competent Palestinians from the Strip, as championed by the Arab League, which shall be responsible for day-to-day operations of Gaza’s civil service and administration; (2) the reconstruction of Gaza and of economic recovery programs; (3) the coordination and supporting of and delivery of public services and humanitarian assistance in Gaza; (4) any measures to facilitate the movement of persons in and out of Gaza, in a manner consistent with the Comprehensive Plan; and (5) any such additional tasks as may be necessary to support and implement the Comprehensive Plan;

5. Understands that the operational entities referred to in paragraph 4 above will operate under the transitional authority and oversight of the BoP and are to be funded through voluntary contributions from donors and BoP funding vehicles and governments;

6. Calls upon the World Bank and other financial institutions to facilitate and provide financial resources to support the reconstruction and development of Gaza , including through the establishment of a dedicated trust fund for this purpose and governed by donors;

7. Authorizes Member States working with the BoP and the BoP to establish a temporary International Stabilization Force (ISF) in Gaza to deploy under unified command acceptable to the BoP, with forces contributed by participating States, in close consultation and cooperation with the Arab Republic of Egypt and the State of Israel, and to use all necessary measures to carry out its mandate consistent with international law, including international humanitarian law. The ISF shall work with Israel and Egypt, without prejudice to their existing agreements, along with the newly trained and vetted Palestinian police force, to help secure border areas; stabilize the security environment in Gaza by ensuring the process of demilitarizing the Gaza Strip, including the destruction and prevention of rebuilding of the military, terror, and offensive infrastructure, as well as the permanent decommissioning of weapons from non-state armed groups; protect civilians, including humanitarian operations; train and provide support to the vetted Palestinian police forces; coordinate with relevant States to secure humanitarian corridors; and undertake such additional tasks as may be necessary in support of the Comprehensive Plan. As the ISF establishes control and stability, the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) will withdraw from the Gaza Strip based on standards, milestones, and timeframes linked to demilitarization that will be agreed between the IDF, ISF, the guarantors, and the United States, save for a security perimeter presence that will remain until Gaza is properly secure from any resurgent terror threat. The ISF shall, (A) assist the BoP in monitoring the implementation of the ceasefire in Gaza, and enter into such arrangements as may be necessary to achieve the objectives of the Comprehensive Plan; and (B) operate under the strategic guidance of the BoP and will be funded through voluntary contributions from donors and BoP funding vehicles and governments;

8. Decides the BoP and international civil and security presences authorized by this resolution shall remain authorized until Dec. 31, 2027, subject to further action by the Council, and any further reauthorization of the ISF be in full cooperation and coordination with Egypt and Israel and other Member States continuing to work with the ISF;

9. Calls upon Member States and international organizations to work with the BoP to identify opportunities to contribute personnel, equipment, and financial resources to its operating entities and the ISF, to provide technical assistance to its operating entities and the ISF, and to give full recognition to its acts and documents;

10. Requests the BoP provide a written report on progress related to the above to the UN Security Council every six months;

11. Decides to remain seized of the matter.

Resolutions | Security Council

Full text of the US resolution for Gaza approved by the UN Security Council | Middle East Eye

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The Middle East, including the Palestinian Question: Vote on a Draft Resolution to Authorise an International Stabilization Force in Gaza*

Tomorrow afternoon (17 November) at 5 pm, the Security Council is expected to vote on a draft resolution authored by the US that welcomes the establishment of a Board of Peace (BoP) as a “transitional governance administration” in Gaza and authorizes the BoP to establish a temporary International Stabilization Force (ISF) in the enclave. The draft text in blue authorizes both entities until 31 December 2027, “subject to further action by the Council”.

Background

The BoP and the ISF were first outlined in the “Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict” (also known as the “20-point plan”) that US President Donald Trump announced in late September. The first phase of the plan, which Israel and Hamas agreed to on 8 October, established the current ceasefire in Gaza and called for Hamas to release the remaining hostages that it was holding in exchange for the release of Palestinian detainees, a partial withdrawal of the Israel Defense Forces (IDF) from Gaza, and an increase in humanitarian aid into the territory. At the time of writing, Hamas had released all living hostages and the remains of most deceased ones, while Israel had released Palestinian detainees at an agreed ratio and re-deployed to an initial withdrawal line. The ceasefire remains fragile, however, as both sides have accused the other of violating the terms of the agreement and humanitarian aid delivery, while increasing, is still subject to Israeli restrictions.

Under the Comprehensive Plan, the parties are to advance from the completion of the first stage to a second stage that calls for the decommissioning of Hamas’ weapons; the further withdrawal of the IDF, which will progressively hand over security responsibility for Gaza to the ISF; and the establishment of an interim technocratic government in Gaza comprising Palestinian and international experts under the oversight of the BoP, which will be chaired by Trump. This body is to eventually cede control of Gaza to a reformed Palestinian Authority (PA), at which point “the conditions may finally be in place for a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood”.

According to media reports, the US aims to deploy the first contingents of the ISF by January 2026, envisioning a peace enforcement mission—rather than a peacekeeping presence—with a total troop size of approximately 20,000. The US is apparently in talks with several countries including Azerbaijan, Egypt, Indonesia, Qatar, and Türkiye about contributing personnel to the force, which would not be a UN operation. These countries have reportedly conveyed the need for a Security Council mandate for the ISF to allow them to contribute troops, although some potential backers have expressed reservations concerning the terms and legal foundation of the force even if formally authorized by the Council. Meanwhile, the status of negotiations on several other provisions of the second phase of the Comprehensive Plan—which include demands that both 'Hamas and Israel have publicly rejected in the past—were unclear at the time of writing.

Negotiations on the Draft Resolution

It seems that the negotiations on the draft resolution were challenging, although they proceeded relatively quickly. The US apparently indicated that it sought a swift adoption and could only consider limited revisions to the text since its overall scope was already determined by the Comprehensive Plan. On 5 November, the US formally briefed all elected Council members as well as Egypt, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) on its initial draft text. The US then convened all Council members for one round of negotiations on the text on 6 November, inviting written comments until the following day. On 10 November, the penholder circulated a revised draft and put it under silence procedure until 11 November. Algeria, China, and Russia broke silence, and several other members submitted additional comments. On 12 November, the US put a second revised draft under silence procedure, which China and Russia again broke.

On 13 November, Russia introduced an alternative draft text and convened consultations on its draft on the following day. Russia then requested written comments from Council members by Monday (17 November). Concurrently, the US put its second revised draft in blue without changes and requested a vote by Monday as well.

The US-authored draft text in blue endorses the Comprehensive Plan and welcomes the establishment of the BoP as a transitional governance administration “with international legal personality”, responsible for setting the framework for the redevelopment of Gaza pursuant to the Comprehensive Plan until the PA has “satisfactorily” completed its reform program. The draft text in blue describes the BoP’s governance and reconstruction responsibilities, mandating it to oversee a technocratic Palestinian committee responsible for day-to-day administration; coordinate public services and humanitarian assistance; and implement economic recovery and redevelopment program. It also encourages international financial support for reconstruction, requesting the World Bank and other institutions to establish a donor-governed trust fund dedicated to Gaza’s redevelopment.

On the security track, the draft text in blue authorizes the BoP to establish the ISF under a unified command acceptable to the BoP, with forces contributed by participating states, in close consultation and cooperation with Egypt and Israel, and to use all necessary measures to carry out its mandate consistent with international law, including international humanitarian law. The draft resolution in blue mandates the ISF to assist in monitoring the ceasefire in Gaza; secure border areas; protect civilians, including humanitarian operations; support the demilitarization process, including the destruction of military infrastructure and the permanent decommissioning of weapons from non-state armed groups; train and support vetted Palestinian police units; and to undertake “such additional tasks as may be necessary” in support of the Comprehensive Plan. The draft text in blue states that both the BoP and the ISF will be funded through voluntary contributions and remain authorized until 31 December 2027, with any extension of the ISF requiring full cooperation and coordination with Egypt, Israel, and other participating states.

During the negotiations on the draft resolution, it seems that Council members had several questions and concerns about the transitional framework that it outlined. Among other issues, many members apparently sought more information about the powers and composition of the BoP, expressing reservations about endowing the entity with such broad authority without robust oversight mechanisms, agreed membership, and a clearly benchmarked transitional period. Many members also requested a stronger role for the PA during the transition, stressing the importance of its consent as a condition for the establishment of the BoP and deployment of the ISF, as well as defined and verifiable conditions for the “satisfactory completion” of its reform program. In addition, members apparently requested language reaffirming the two-state solution as the guiding principle for the international community’s efforts to end the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Regarding the ISF, it seems that several members requested more detailed information about its proposed terms of engagement, including whether it would be mandated to forcibly disarm Hamas if the group did not agree to do so voluntarily. Relatedly, some members apparently suggested language explicitly stating that the Security Council was acting under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, which concerns the use of force. It appears that some members also sought language specifying clearer steps for the IDF’s withdrawal and hand-over of security responsibility to the ISF.

It seems that the US made some limited changes in the first revised draft in response to these concerns. It added language specifying that the BoP would operate in a manner consistent with relevant international legal principles and requested it to submit a written report to the Security Council every six months. With regard to PA reform, the penholder included in the revised draft a reference to the New York Declaration on the two-state solution, which was adopted following a 28-30 July high-level conference co-chaired by France and Saudi Arabia and specifies certain areas of reform to which the PA has committed. On the topic of the IDF’s withdrawal, the revised draft incorporated language from the Comprehensive Plan—which was already annexed to the text—stating that the IDF would “withdraw from the Gaza Strip based on standards, milestones, and timeframes linked to demilitarization that will be agreed between the IDF, ISF, the guarantors, and the United States, save for a security perimeter presence that will remain until Gaza is properly secure from any resurgent terror threat”. Additionally, the US deleted language in a paragraph on humanitarian aid stating that any organization found to have misused aid would be ineligible to provide continued or future assistance—a provision that was perceived to target the UN Relief and Works Agency for Palestine Refugees in the Near East (UNRWA), which Israel has accused of complicity with Hamas, although the Agency strongly denies that charge. The International Court of Justice (ICJ) presented an advisory opinion on 22 October rejecting the allegation and reminding Israel of its obligation to cooperate in good faith with the UN.

Algeria, China, and Russia broke silence on the first revised draft, contending that it did not sufficiently address their concerns. These apparently included continued ambiguity regarding the powers, composition, and mandate of the BoP and the ISF, as well as the lack of an empowered role for the PA and of references to the two-state solution. In its second revised draft, it seems that the main change made by the US sought to address the latter objection, as it added new language—also from the Comprehensive Plan—stating that “conditions may finally be in place for a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood” after the PA has completed its reform program and Gaza’s redevelopment has advanced.

China and Russia broke silence on the second revised draft too, maintaining their objections, and Russia then circulated its alternative text. The Russian draft resolution does not mention the BoP and requests the Secretary-General to submit a report with options for the deployment of the ISF. In response, the US issued a joint statement with Egypt, Indonesia, Jordan, Pakistan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, and the UAE expressing support for the US draft—a position also echoed by the PA. Russia issued its own statement contending that the objective of its text was to “amend the US concept so as to bring it into full conformity with long-standing and previously agreed decisions” of the Security Council, adding that “our document does not contradict the American initiative”.

During the informal consultations on that draft held on 14 November, certain Council members—such as Algeria and China—apparently expressed some support for the Russian text, but it seems that most other Council members argued that efforts should remain focused on the US-penned draft. The US subsequently placed its second revised draft in blue and requested a vote by 17 November. Russia requested written comments on its draft by the same day but has not requested a vote at the time of writing.

_________________________________________________________________

**Post-script: On 17 November, the Security Council adopted resolution 2803, welcoming the establishment of a Board of Peace (BoP) and authorizing the BoP to establish a temporary International Stabilization Force (ISF) in Gaza. It received 13 votes in favor and two abstentions (China and Russia).

The Middle East, including the Palestinian Question: Vote on a Draft Resolution to Authorize an International Stabilization Force in Gaza* : What's In Blue : Security Council Report

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The U.N. Security Council approves a U.S. plan for a Gaza stabilization force

By Abdul Kareem Hana, AP

NPR, November 17, 2025

UNITED NATIONS —

The Trump administration's blueprint to secure and govern Gaza won strong approval at the United Nations on Monday, a crucial step that provides international support for U.S. efforts to move the devastated territory toward peace following two years of war.

The U.S. resolution that passed the U.N. Security Council authorizes an international stabilization force to provide security in Gaza, approves a transitional authority to be overseen by President Donald Trump and envisions a possible future path to an independent Palestinian state.

"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.

The vote endorses Trump's 20-point ceasefire plan and builds on the momentum of the fragile ceasefire he helped broker with allies. It marks a key next step for American efforts to outline Gaza's future after the Israel-Hamas war destroyed much of the territory and killed tens of thousands of people.

The proposal calls for a yet-to-be-established Board of Peace as a transitional authority that Trump would head. It also provides a wide mandate for the international stabilization force, including overseeing the borders, providing security and demilitarizing the territory. Authorization for the board and force expire at the end of 2027.

Arab and other Muslim countries that expressed interest in providing troops for an international force had signaled that U.N. authorization was essential for their participation.

Russia, which had circulated a rival resolution, abstained along with China on the 13-0 vote after fears Moscow might use its veto in the Security Council.

However, Hamas opposed the resolution, saying in a statement that it does not meet the "Palestinian people's political and humanitarian demands and rights."

Stronger language on Palestinian state helps get the U.S. plan over the finish line

U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Mike Waltz said the resolution "represents another significant step towards a stable Gaza that will be able to prosper and an environment that will allow Israel to live in security."

It came about following nearly two weeks of negotiations, when Arab nations and the Palestinians pressed the United States to strengthen language about Palestinian self-determination.

But the proposal still gives no timeline or guarantee for an independent state, only saying it's possible after advances in the reconstruction of Gaza and reforms of the Palestinian Authority, which now governs parts of the West Bank.

The U.S. revised the resolution to say that after those steps, "the conditions may finally be in place for a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood."

"The United States will establish a dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians to agree on a political horizon for peaceful and prosperous coexistence," it adds.

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu opposes Palestinian statehood and repeated that position Sunday at a time when his hard-line governing partners have expressed concern about the resolution's endorsement of a "pathway" to Palestinian independence.

Israel's U.N. Ambassador Danny Danon told reporters before the vote that Israel was grateful to Trump "for leading peace to the Middle East."

Algeria's U.N. Ambassador 'Ammar Bin Jum'a (Amar Bendjama), the Arab representative on the council, thanked Trump for his instrumental role in bringing about the ceasefire, but said "genuine peace in the Middle East cannot be achieved without justice, justice for the Palestinian people."

A key to the resolution's adoption was support from Arab and other Muslim nations that had been critical to the ceasefire and potentially could contribute to the international force. The U.S. mission to the United Nations distributed a joint statement Friday with Qatar, Egypt, United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Pakistan, Jordan and Turkey calling for "swift adoption" of the U.S. proposal.

Russia's U.N. Ambassador Vassily Nebenzia said Moscow took note of that support but abstained because the resolution did not include a role for the Security Council or emphatically support Palestinian statehood.

The vote shores up hopes that Gaza's fragile ceasefire will be maintained following a war set off by Hamas' surprise attack on southern Israel on Oct. 7, 2023, which killed about 1,200 people. Israel's offensive has killed over 69,000 Palestinians, according to the Gaza health ministry, which doesn't distinguish between civilians and combatants but says the majority are women and children.

What else the U.S. proposal says

Trump said the members of the Board of Peace will be named in the coming weeks, along with "many more exciting announcements."

The U.S. resolution calls for the stabilization force to ensure "the process of demilitarizing the Gaza Strip" and "the permanent decommissioning of weapons from non-state armed groups."

A big question has been how to disarm Hamas, which said Monday that giving the force a role inside Gaza that includes disarmament "strips it of its neutrality, and turns it into a party to the conflict in favor of the occupation."

The resolution authorizes the force "to use all necessary measures to carry out its mandate" in compliance with international law, which is U.N. language for the use of military force.

It says the stabilization troops will help secure border areas, along with a Palestinian police force that they have trained and vetted, and they will coordinate with other countries to secure the flow of humanitarian assistance. It says the force should closely consult and cooperate with neighboring Egypt and Israel.

As the international force establishes control, the resolution says Israeli forces will withdraw from Gaza "based on standards, milestones, and timeframes linked to demilitarization." These must be agreed to by the stabilization force, Israeli forces, the U.S. and the guarantors of the ceasefire, it says.

U.N. Security Council approves U.S. Gaza stabilization force plan : NPR

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One of the oddest UN resolutions in history seeks to solidify shaky Gaza ceasefire into an enduring peace

By Julian Borgerin Washington

The Guardian, November 18, 2025

The hazy UN resolution dictates that Trump’s ‘board of peace’ will supervise an International Stabilization Force, whose membership is as yet undetermined

The resolution passed by the UN security council on Tuesday evening, aimed at turning the precarious Gaza ceasefire into a real peace plan, is one of the oddest in United Nations history.

It puts Donald Trump in supreme control of Gaza, perhaps with Tony Blair as his immediate subordinate in a “board of peace”, which will oversee multinational peacekeeping troops, a committee of Palestinian technocrats and a local police force, for a period of two years.

No one knows who else will be on the “board of peace” – only that it will, as Trump declared on social media, “be chaired by me, and include the most powerful and respected Leaders throughout the World”.

The board will report to the security council but will not be subordinate to the UN, or subject to past UN resolutions. It will supervise an International Stabilization Force (ISF), whose membership is also undetermined, but which the US wants to deploy by January. The countries who the US has approached – including Egypt, Indonesia, Turkey and the United Arab Emirates – are tentative. The resolution says the ISF will “ensure the process of demilitarizing” Gaza – suggesting it will have to take weapons away from 'Hamas, which insisted immediately after the UN vote it will not disarm.

US military planning for divided Gaza with ‘green zone’ secured by international and Israeli troops Read more

There is little appetite among the would-be troop contributors for a direct confrontation with its battle-hardened fighters. The ISF would meanwhile be supposed to take over security in territory now occupied by Israeli forces, but that too could be a recipe for clashes, especially if the Israelis are reluctant to leave.

There is no greater clarity over the Palestinian committee of technocrats who will be tasked with the day-to-day running of the Gaza Strip, under the guidance of Trump and his fellow leaders. It will be hard, to say the least, to find any such technocrats, prepared to work for Trump, who would hold any sway with the 2.2 million surviving Palestinians in Gaza. The same goes for the putative police force.

Despite the miasma of vagueness, UN security council Resolution 2803 invested all these aspirational bodies with the force of international law, in an effort to turn Trump’s 20-point peace proposal into some sort of plan and solidify last month’s shaky US-brokered ceasefire into an enduring peace.

The fact that the resolution passed 13-0 with Russia and China abstaining, is testament to its calculated haziness as well as the global exhaustion and desperation over Gaza after two years of Israeli bombardment, which has left over 70,000 dead, some 70% of the buildings on the coastal territory razed to the ground, and a finding by a UN commission that Israel has committed genocide.

After the vote, the US envoy, Mike Waltz, described the resolution as transformative – “a new course in the Middle East, for Israelis and Palestinians and all the people of the region alike”.

When it was the turn for the other council members to speak, they were altogether more cautious, framing their support or acquiescence more in terms of what might follow from the resolution, rather than what was actually in the text.

This was especially true when it came to Palestinian statehood. On the insistence of the Arab and Islamic states, the resolution had been revised in recent days to at least mention a future Palestine. It did so however, not by referring to the fundamental right of Palestinians to self-determination and the international commitment to a two-state commitment, but in the language of a distant, conditional and elusive offer. If the Palestinian Authority reformed itself satisfactorily and Gaza’s rebuilding advances, it said “conditions may be in place for a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood”.

Mealy mouthed as it sounds, European diplomats saw a significant victory in getting a Trump administration envoy to say the words “Palestinian self-determination and statehood” out loud, whatever the caveats.

The veteran US negotiator and Middle East expert, Aaron David Miller, also saw the resolution as a step towards a future Palestine.

“Whether the UNSC resolution can be implemented is unclear. But it reflects two new realities – Trump has internationalized the Gaza component of Palestinian issue and supported a two state solution as an end state,” Miller wrote on social media.

The wording of resolution 2803 was certainly too much for the extreme right end of Benjamin Netanyahu’s coalition, who reacted with fury, forcing the prime minister to restate his own visceral objections to any suggestion of Palestinian sovereignty.

Those governments who held their noses and supported the resolution have drawn some solace from the discomfort of the Israeli hard right. In the view of the European and the Islamic states the passage of the resolution will keep Trump engaged, hopefully increasing the flow of humanitarian assistance into Gaza in the immediate future, while holding a door wedged ajar to the prospects of lasting peace and Palestinian statehood.

The more the international community is represented on the “board of peace” and the more Arab and Islamic countries take part in the ISF, so the optimists in these capitals argue, the harder it will be for Israel to maintain its exclusive, US-approved control over the occupied territory.

In going along with the “Trump plan”, they hope to emulate and ultimately outdo Israel at its own game, riding the tiger of the American president’s ego, in the hope of eventually steering him in their desired direction.

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