UNITED NATIONS/RAMALLAH – The UN Security Council on Monday adopted a resolution to endorse the creation of an international stabilization force (ISF) in Gaza.
The US-drafted Resolution 2803 won the support of 13 council members. Russia, which has presented a competing draft resolution, abstained, along with China.
The resolution endorses the 20-point Comprehensive Plan for Gaza announced by US President Donald Trump in September.
It welcomes the establishment of a Board of Peace (BoP) as a "transitional administration" that will set the framework and coordinate funding for the redevelopment of Gaza "until such time as the Palestinian Authority has satisfactorily completed its reform program ... and can securely and effectively take back control of Gaza."
After the Palestinian Authority reform program is faithfully carried out and Gaza redevelopment has advanced, 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, reads the resolution.
It authorizes UN member states and the BoP to establish a temporary ISF in Gaza to deploy under a unified command, with forces contributed by participating states, and to use all necessary measures to carry out its mandate consistent with international law.
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The ISF is tasked, among others, to help secure border areas, stabilize the security environment in Gaza by ensuring the process of demilitarizing the Gaza Strip, protect civilians, and coordinate with relevant states to secure humanitarian corridors, according to the resolution.
The ISF operates under the strategic guidance of the BoP and will be funded through voluntary contributions from donors and BoP funding vehicles and governments.
The resolution authorizes the BoP and the international civil and security presence in Gaza until Dec 31, 2027, subject to further action by the Security Council.
It requests the BoP to provide a written report on progress to the Security Council every six months.
In a statement released by the official WAFA news agency, the Palestinian Authority welcomed the adoption of the resolution, reiterating its readiness to assume full responsibilities in the Gaza Strip within the framework of the unity of land, people, and institutions, and stressing that Gaza is an inseparable part of the State of Palestine.
The Palestinian Authority also voiced readiness to work with all relevant parties "to implement the resolution in a manner that ends the suffering of the Palestinian people in Gaza, the West Bank, and East Jerusalem, and advances a political path leading to peace, security, and stability between Palestinians and Israelis based on the two-state solution in line with international law and legitimacy."
Hamas issued a statement on the same day, criticizing the resolution for not meeting the political and humanitarian needs of the Palestinian people, particularly those in Gaza.
It added that the proposal seeks to impose outcomes that Israel "failed to achieve militarily," and separates Gaza from the rest of the Palestinian territory in a way that undermines Palestinian national rights.
Hamas also warned that assigning tasks to an international force inside Gaza would compromise the force's neutrality and turn it into a party to the conflict.
It said that any international force should operate only along the borders under full UN supervision and in coordination with official Palestinian institutions, and should focus on monitoring a ceasefire and facilitating humanitarian aid.
