The UN Security Council voted on Monday to adopt a US-drafted resolution for Gaza, but the plan was immediately rejected by Hamas as an unacceptable “international guardianship.” The resolution, which endorses President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan, authorizes an “international stabilization force” (ISF) to demilitarize the enclave and a “Board of Peace” to oversee its reconstruction. The plan’s passage, which occurred after Russia and China abstained, sets the stage for a confrontation.
The “guardianship” that Hamas referred to is the plan’s robust security framework. The ISF is given a clear mandate to decommission all weapons and destroy military infrastructure. In its statement, Hamas vowed it “will not disarm” and would continue its “legitimate resistance,” a direct challenge to the new UN-backed mandate.
The US, which drafted the resolution, praised it as a breakthrough. Ambassador Mike Waltz told the council the plan “dismantles Hamas’ grip” and creates a “prosperous and secure” Gaza, free from “terror’s shadow.” President Trump, who will chair the Board of Peace, called the vote “historic” and promised more announcements in the “coming weeks.”
This US-led framework failed to win the support of Russia and China. Both powers abstained, complaining that the resolution excludes the UN from any meaningful role. Russian Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya warned that the council was ceding “complete control” to a US-led initiative whose “modalities” are completely unknown.
In a rare move, the Palestinian Authority, Hamas’s rival, welcomed the resolution. This endorsement, diplomats say, was crucial in preventing a Russian veto. The PA’s support seems linked to a clause in the text referencing a “pathway to… statehood,” a clause that has, in turn, drawn public opposition from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, highlighting the plan’s extremely fragile political foundation.
