UN Endorses US Gaza Strategy with Potential Roadmap to a Sovereign Palestinian State

The United Nations Security Council has approved a significant U.S.-led resolution aimed at stabilizing Gaza and potentially paving the way for an independent Palestinian state, with 13 votes in favor and abstentions from Russia and China. This resolution follows two years of conflict between Israel and Hamas and introduces a 20-point ceasefire agreement proposed by U.S. President Donald Trump.

Central to the plan is the creation of a transitional authority named the “Board of Peace,” which Trump will lead. It also permits the deployment of an International Stabilization Force (ISF) tasked with managing security, border control, and demilitarization in Gaza for at least two years. The ISF aims to disarm non-state armed groups and support reconstruction efforts.

While the resolution suggests the possibility of a future independent Palestinian state, it lacks a definitive timeline, indicating that such developments might follow substantial reforms in the Palestinian Authority. The plan has received backing from several Arab nations, including Qatar, Egypt, the UAE, and Saudi Arabia, who were instrumental in its approval.

However, Hamas has criticized the resolution, arguing that it fails to adequately address Palestinian rights. They contend that the proposed international force’s mandate to disarm resistance groups may compromise its neutrality and sovereignty over Gaza, viewing it as foreign control.

The U.S. administration remains optimistic about the resolution, framing it as a historic step towards broader regional peace. Following this approval, the next phases involve deploying the ISF and establishing the Board of Peace, with efforts to engage all stakeholders in the peace process, marking a crucial moment in Middle Eastern diplomacy and the Israeli-Palestinian conflict’s future.