The United Nations Security Council has endorsed proposals put forward by Donald Trump for a lasting peace in Gaza, including the deployment of an international stabilisation force and a possible path to a sovereign Palestinian state. The resolution, passed by a vote of 13-0 with China and Russia abstaining, charted 'a new course in the Middle East', according to US envoy Mike Waltz.
However, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated his government's adamant opposition to the creation of a Palestinian state, raising questions about implementation. Hamas rejected what it described as an imposed 'international guardianship mechanism' and insisted it would not disarm.
The UK's chargé d'affaires, James Kariuki, said: 'The transitional arrangements that we embark on today must be implemented in accordance with international law and respecting Palestinian sovereignty and self-determination.' The Algerian envoy, Amar Bendjama, speaking for the Arab bloc, noted that the resolution's annexe 'clearly affirms no annexation, no occupation, no forced displacement'.
The resolution's inclusion of references to Palestinian statehood was a compromise, with vague language leaving many issues uncertain. It gives overall oversight to a 'board of peace' chaired by Trump, which must report to the UN but is not bound by its wishes.
