UN backs Trump’s Gaza peace plan despite Netanyahu’s rejection of Palestinian state

The UN security council has endorsed proposals put forward by Donald Trump for lasting peace in Gaza, including deployment of an international stabilisation force and a possible path to a sovereign Palestinian state, according to a Guardian report.

The resolution, passed 13-0 with abstentions by China and Russia, charted “a new course in the Middle East for Israelis and Palestinians and all the people of the region alike”, US envoy to the UN Mike Waltz told the council chamber.

References to an independent Palestine were included to secure backing from the Arab and Islamic world, who are expected to provide peacekeepers for an international stabilisation force.

However, on the eve of the UN vote, Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu restated his government’s opposition to creating a Palestinian state, raising questions about whether Israel will allow implementation of the UN-mandated proposals.

After the vote, Hamas rejected what it described as an imposed “international guardianship mechanism” and insisted it would not disarm.

Supporters of the resolution said it should lead to immediate lifting of remaining curbs on aid flowing into Gaza, creation of an international stabilisation force to fill the vacuum left by Israeli military withdrawal, and moves towards reconstruction and a possible “pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood”.

The reference to Palestinian statehood was a compromise addition to an initial US draft which did not mention it. However, the wording is vague and conditional, promising only that once the Palestinian Authority has reformed itself and Gaza’s rebuilding is under way, “the conditions may finally be in place for a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood”.

The language fell far short of the firm commitment to building a Palestinian state alongside Israel sought by Arab and Islamic states, as well as European council members, but in speeches after the vote, delegates from those countries said they were prepared to accept the compromise to extend the current truce and take immediate measures to feed and protect Gaza’s 2.2 million Palestinians.

“The transitional arrangements that we embark on today must be implemented in accordance with international law and respecting Palestinian sovereignty and self-determination,” said James Kariuki, the UK chargé d’affaires.

“We submitted what we considered essential amendments to ensure balance and integrity in the text. Some of those proposals were taken on board,” said Algerian envoy Amar Bendjama, speaking for the Arab bloc and making clear it viewed the document as sowing the seeds of Palestinian sovereignty.

“Algeria has finally decided to vote in favour of this text, a text that we support its core objective, namely the maintenance of the ceasefire and the creation of conditions enabling the Palestinian people to exercise their immeasurable rights to self-determination and statehood.”

Bendjama drew attention to the resolution’s annexe which he said addressed Palestinian rights. “This resolution must be read in its entirety. Its annexe is an integral part of it, and all parties must comply with it,” he said. “It clearly affirms no annexation, no occupation, no forced displacement.”

Whilst Netanyahu is reported to have reluctantly accepted the resolution’s wording in discussions with Washington, he backtracked after an outraged response from the extreme right wing of his governing coalition. On Sunday, the prime minister said “our opposition to a Palestinian state on any territory has not changed”.

The resolution was a rare example of concerted action by the UN over Gaza, after two years of diplomatic impasse during which at least 71,000 Palestinians have been killed, drawing allegations of genocide by a UN commission of inquiry and human rights groups.

The price of passing a resolution, with Russia and China abstaining rather than using their veto, was vague language which left many issues uncertain.

It gives overall oversight authority to a “board of peace” chaired by Trump, but of uncertain membership. The board must report to the UN but is not bound by the wishes of the UN or the Palestinian Authority. It also calls for creation of a Palestinian technocratic committee to run day-to-day governance of the Gaza Strip and delivery of services, but it is far from clear who would take part.

The mandate of the international stabilisation force gives it authority to disarm and dismantle armed groups in Gaza like Hamas, but it is far from clear that would-be troop contributors would agree to attempt to confront Hamas. No country has so far committed to sending peacekeepers.

After the vote, Hamas reiterated it would not disarm, potentially pitting the militant group against the international force authorised by the resolution.

“The resolution imposes an international guardianship mechanism on the Gaza Strip, which our people and their factions reject,” Hamas said in its statement.

The criteria for reform of the Palestinian Authority, the precondition towards moves to a sovereign Palestine, have been hazy.

European diplomats said it was also urgent that the names of the Palestinian technocratic committee to deliver services was agreed as quickly as possible.

Trump celebrated the vote as “a moment of true historic proportion” in a social media post, adding that “the members of the board, and many more exciting announcements, will be made in the coming weeks”.

(information from The Guardian)