The UN Security Council last night approved a US plan for Gaza that authorises an international stabilisation force to provide security in the devastated territory and envisions a possible future path to an independent Palestinian state. Russia, which had circulated a rival resolution, abstained along with China on the 13-0 vote. The vote was a crucial next step for the fragile ceasefire and efforts to outline Gaza’s future following two years of war between Israel and Hamas. Arab and other Muslim countries that expressed interest in providing troops for an international force had signalled that Security Council authorisation was essential for their participation.

The US resolution endorses President Donald Trump’s 20-point ceasefire plan, which calls for a yet-to-be-established Board of Peace as a transitional authority that Trump would head. It also authorises the stabilisation force and gives it a wide mandate, including overseeing the borders, providing security and demilitarising the territory. The US resolution calls for the stabilisation force to ensure the process of demilitarising the Gaza Strip and the permanent decommissioning of weapons from non-state armed groups. Authorisation for the board and force expires at the end of 2027. US Ambassador Mike Waltz called the resolution historic and constructive, saying it starts a new course in the Middle East.