The UN Security Council must decide by Monday on support for Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan, particularly the deployment of international troops, under pressure from the United States which has warned of the risk of a restart of the war.
The American draft resolution, which was amended several times during sensitive negotiations, “supports” Donald Trump’s plan to allow the establishment of a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas on October 10 in the Palestinian territories hit by a two-year war sparked by a bloody attack by the Palestinian Islamist movement on October 7, 2023.
The text “authorizes” the creation of an “international stabilization force” (ISF) responsible in particular for supporting border security in cooperation with Israel and Egypt, the demilitarization of Gaza, the disarmament of “non-state armed groups”, the protection of civilians, and the training of Palestinian police forces. The composition of this force is not stated.
The agreement also mandates until December 31, 2027 the “Peace Committee”, a “transitional government” body in Gaza until the reform of the Palestinian Authority. According to the 20-point plan attached to the resolution, this committee should be chaired by Donald Trump.
Unlike the first version of the text, the project is subject to a vote on Monday at 5 p.m. (11 p.m. in France) raises the possibility of a Palestinian state.
Following the reform of the Palestinian Authority and progress in the reconstruction of Gaza, “conditions may finally exist for a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood,” the text said.
The future is clearly rejected by Israel. “Our opposition to a Palestinian state in any region has not changed,” Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu stressed on Sunday.
Russian objections
Russia, propagating a conflicting text, justified this initiative in particular by the fact that the American resolution did not address this sufficiently, and affirmed its “steadfast commitment” to a two-state solution.
The Russian text does not allow for the creation of a Peace Committee or the deployment of forces at this stage, and calls on the UN Secretary General to propose “options” in the matter.
Facing what it calls “attempts to sow discord,” the United States has redoubled its efforts in recent days to push the Security Council to give the green light. “Any refusal to support this resolution is a vote in favor of the continued rule of the Hamas terrorists or in favor of the resumption of war with Israel, condemning the region and its people to eternal conflict,” stressed American Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz on Friday in a text published in the Washington Post.
America also highlighted its strong support for the text, issuing a joint statement with Qatar, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Pakistan, Jordan and Turkey.
Some diplomatic sources predict that, despite open criticism from Russia, which has veto power, and the reluctance of other member states, who are concerned about the lack of clarity in the mandates of the Peace Committee and the ISF, it would be a surprise if the American text is rejected.
