The United Nations Security Council is set to vote tomorrow on a United States-drafted resolution bolstering President Donald Trump鈥檚 Gaza peace plan, especially the deployment of an international force.
It comes as Washington warns that a failure to act could lead to renewed fighting.
The draft, which has been revised several times as a result of high-stakes negotiations, 鈥渆ndorses鈥 the plan, which allowed for a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas to take hold on October 10 in the war-wracked Palestinian territory.
The Gaza Strip has been largely reduced to rubble after two years of fighting, sparked by Hamas鈥 attack on Israel on October 7, 2023.
The latest version of the text, seen by AFP, authorises the creation of an International Stabilisation Force (ISF) that would work with Israel and Egypt and newly trained Palestinian police to help secure border areas and demilitarise the Gaza Strip.
The ISF also would work on the 鈥減ermanent decommissioning of weapons from non-state armed groups鈥, protecting civilians and securing humanitarian aid corridors.
In addition, it would authorise the formation of a 鈥淏oard of Peace鈥, a transitional governing body for Gaza - which Trump would theoretically chair - with a mandate running until the end of 2027.
Unlike previous drafts, the latest version mentions a possible future Palestinian state.
Once the Palestinian Authority has carried out requested reforms and the rebuilding of Gaza is under way, 鈥渢he conditions may finally be in place for a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood鈥, the draft says.
That eventuality has been firmly rejected by Israel.
鈥淥ur opposition to a Palestinian state on any territory has not changed,鈥 Netanyahu said at a cabinet meeting today NZT.
The UN Security Council vote is set for 5pm (11am).
Russian objections
Veto-wielding Russia has circulated a competing draft, saying the US document does not go far enough towards backing the creation of a Palestinian state.
Moscow鈥檚 text, seen by AFP, asks the Council to express its 鈥渦nwavering commitment to the vision of the two-state solution鈥.
It does not authorise a Board of Peace or the deployment of an international force for the time being, instead asking UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to offer 鈥渙ptions鈥 on those issues.
The US has intensified its campaign to earn support for its resolution, hitting out at 鈥渁ttempts to sow discord鈥 among Council members.
鈥淎ny refusal to back this resolution is a vote either for the continued reign of Hamas terrorists or for the return to war with Israel, condemning the region and its people to perpetual conflict,鈥 the US ambassador to the United Nations, Mike Waltz, wrote in the Washington Post.
The US has made it known that it has the backing of several Arab and Muslim-majority nations, publishing a joint statement of support for the text signed by Qatar, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Pakistan, Jordan, and Turkey.
Several diplomats told AFP that despite Russian criticism and hesitance on the part of other member states, they expect the US draft to be adopted.
鈥淭he Russians know that while a lot of Council members will go along with the US plans, they share concerns about the substance of the US text and the way Washington has tried to fast-track it through New York,鈥 Richard Gowan of the International Crisis Group told AFP.
He doubts that Moscow will use its veto on a resolution backed by Arab nations.
鈥淚 think it is more likely that China and Russia will abstain, register their scepticism about the plan and then sit back and watch the US struggle to put it into action,鈥 Gowan said.
-Agence France-Presse
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