The United Nations Security Council on Monday voted to endorse a US-drafted resolution backing President Donald Trump’s plan to end the conflict in Gaza and authorising the deployment of an international stabilisation force to the Palestinian enclave.
The resolution was backed by 13 countries, including the UK and France, with no country voting against the peace proposal.
The resolution marks a significant step in legitimising Trump’s 20-point roadmap, which aims to create a post-war governance structure and rebuild Gaza’s shattered economy after years of devastating conflict.
Israel and Hamas had already agreed last month to the first phase of Trump’s peace plan involving a ceasefire and a hostage-exchange arrangement following two years of war. The Council’s adoption of the resolution now provides international legitimacy for a proposed transitional governing body, reassuring nations considering sending peacekeeping troops to Gaza.
According to the text of the resolution, UN member states will have the opportunity to join a Trump-chaired “Board of Peace,” envisioned as an interim authority overseeing reconstruction, economic revival, and demilitarisation efforts.
Hamas Rejects Disarmament Requirement
In a statement issued after the vote, Hamas declared it would not lay down its weapons, describing its actions against Israel as “legitimate resistance.” It said that the resolution “fails to meet Palestinians’ rights and demands” and is a move that can impose “an international trusteeship” on Gaza.
“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,” Hamas said, as quoted by news agency Reuters.
“The resolution imposes an international guardianship mechanism on the Gaza Strip, which our people and their factions reject,” the group said, signalling possible confrontation with the newly authorised international force tasked with disarming militant groups and dismantling military infrastructure.
US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz told the Council that the resolution “charts a possible pathway for Palestinian self-determination … where rockets will give way to olive branches and there is a chance to agree on a political horizon.”
“It dismantles Hamas’ grip, it ensures Gaza rises free from terror’s shadow, prosperous and secure,” Waltz said before the vote.
Russia, China Abstain From Voting; Palestine Welcomes Move
Both Russia and China abstained from the vote, allowing the measure to pass. Moscow’s ambassador, Vasily Nebenzya, criticised the resolution, saying it provided Washington with outsised influence in Gaza’s future.
“In essence, the council is giving its blessing to a U.S. initiative on the basis of Washington’s promises, giving complete control over the Gaza Strip to the Board of Peace and the ISF (international stabilization force), the modalities of which we know nothing about so far,” he said.
The Palestinian Authority, on the other hand, expressed support for the resolution and confirmed its willingness to participate in the implementation process. Diplomats suggested its endorsement was key to preventing a Russian veto.
Trump Welcomes UN Endorsement
Trump celebrated the result on social media, calling it “a moment of true Historic proportion.” He added that “the members of the Board, and many more exciting announcements, will be made in the coming weeks.”
“Congratulations to the World on the incredible Vote of the United Nations Security Council, just moments ago, acknowledging and endorsing the BOARD OF PEACE, which will be chaired by me, and include the most powerful and respected Leaders throughout the World,” Trump wrote on his social media platform Truth Social.
“This will go down as one of the biggest approvals in the History of the United Nations,” he added.
The resolution also touches on one of the most contentious issues in Israeli politics, the possibility of Palestinian statehood. Its text states that “conditions may finally be in place for a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood” once the Palestinian Authority enacts reforms and Gaza’s reconstruction advances.
“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.
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated his opposition on Sunday, vowing that Israel remained against a Palestinian state and would ensure Gaza’s demilitarization “the easy way or the hard way,” as right-wing members of his coalition pressed him to resist concessions.