The United States has called on the United Nations Security Council to officially back its draft resolution aimed at bolstering President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan, warning that Palestinians could suffer “grave consequences” if it does not.
The call came as Russia presented the council with its own “counter-proposal” on Gaza, challenging Washington’s draft, according to a copy seen by the Reuters news agency.
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A spokesperson for the US mission to the UN said in a Thursday statement that “attempts to sow discord” around Washington’s resolution would only result in “grave, tangible, and entirely avoidable consequences” for Palestinians in Gaza should the ceasefire break down and Israel resume its assault.
The US mission formally circulated its draft resolution to the 15 UNSC members last week for negotiations on the wording and substance of the text.
According to a draft of the text seen by the AFP news agency, it would authorise a two-year mandate running until the end of 2027 for a transitional governance body in Gaza – known as the “Board of Peace” – that Trump would chair.
It would also authorise member states to form a “temporary International Stabilization Force (ISF)” that would work on the “permanent decommissioning of weapons from non-state armed groups” in Gaza, protect civilians and secure humanitarian aid corridors.
The ISF would also work with Israel, Egypt, and newly trained Palestinian police to help secure border areas and demilitarise the enclave.
Trump has ruled out sending US troops into Gaza as part of the proposed 20,000-strong force.
Washington says discussions have been held with Indonesia, the United Arab Emirates, Egypt, Qatar, Turkiye and Azerbaijan about contributing to the force, but reservations remain about sending soldiers due to fears they could come into direct conflict with Hamas.
Unlike previous drafts, the latest iteration also references a possible future Palestinian state, saying “conditions may finally be in place for a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood” once the Palestinian Authority (PA) has carried out the requested reforms.
“The United States will establish a dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians to agree on a political horizon for peaceful and prosperous coexistence,” the resolution adds.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday he was optimistic the resolution would be adopted, saying “good progress” was being made on negotiations around its language.
But despite broad support for a “Board of Peace” among UNSC members, serious questions remain regarding the lack of any mention in the text of any oversight mechanism for the body, the PA’s future role, or concrete details about the ISF’s mandate, AFP reports.
With these significant question marks still hanging over the US proposal, Russia presented its own counter-resolution to the UNSC on Thursday.
“The objective of our draft is to enable the Security Council to develop a balanced, acceptable, and unified approach toward achieving a sustainable cessation of hostilities,” the note said.
On October 8, Trump announced that Israel and Hamas had agreed to the first phase of his much-touted 20-point peace plan for Gaza, pausing the two-year conflict which has seen Israeli forces kill at least 69,179 people in the enclave.
The deal has also facilitated the exchange of Israeli captives held in the enclave – alive and deceased – for Palestinian prisoners, as well as the partial withdrawal of Israeli troops and the entry of some humanitarian aid.
While the ceasefire remains in place, Israel has repeatedly violated the agreement with near-daily attacks that have killed hundreds of Palestinians.
Pointing to this “fragile” ceasefire in its Thursday note to the UNSC, the US mission urged the body to “unite and move forward to secure the peace that is desperately needed” by backing Washington’s resolution.
“[It’s a] historic moment to pave a path towards enduring peace in the Middle East,” it said.
