The UN Security Council has approved a U.S.-backed resolution supporting President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan to stabilise Gaza. The measure gained 13 votes in favour, including the UK, France, and Somalia, with no opposition, while Russia and China abstained.
A central element of the plan is the establishment of an International Stabilisation Force (ISF), with multiple unnamed countries offering support. This force aims to secure Gaza, disarm groups like Hamas—which the UK designates as a terrorist organisation—and protect civilians and aid routes.
Hamas rejected the resolution, stating that “assigning the international force with tasks and roles inside the Gaza Strip, including disarming the resistance, strips it of its neutrality, and turns it into a party to the conflict in favour of the occupation.”
The resolution also calls for creating a new Palestinian police force in Gaza to replace the current one under Hamas control. The ISF would coordinate with Israel and Egypt, Gaza’s neighbour to the south.
US Ambassador Mike Waltz said the ISF would be “tasked with securing the area, supporting the demilitarisation of Gaza, dismantling the terrorist infrastructure, removing weapons, and ensuring the safety of Palestinian civilians.”
The plan’s first phase—implementing a ceasefire and exchanging hostages—started on October 10, which Waltz described as a “fragile, fragile first step.”
Reconstruction funding would be managed by a World Bank-backed trust fund. The resolution also includes the possibility of a Palestinian state, a move Israel opposes but which gained support after pressure from key Arab states.
This initiative follows the October 7, 2023 Hamas attack on Israel that caused about 1,200 deaths and 251 kidnappings. Since then, Israeli military actions in Gaza have resulted in over 69,000 Palestinian deaths, according to Hamas’ health ministry.