NEW YORK: The US on Wednesday night circulated a draft resolution at the UN Security Council that would authorize the creation of an International Stabilization Force in Gaza to oversee the demilitarization of Hamas.
The draft, obtained by Arab News, endorses US President Donald Trump’s “Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict,” and calls on all parties to implement it in its entirety, “in good faith and without delay.”
Trump’s plan proposes an immediate ceasefire, the release of all hostages, prisoner exchanges, the demilitarization of Gaza, the deployment of an International Stabilization Force, and temporary governance by Palestinian technocrats under international supervision.
It also outlines large-scale reconstruction and a conditional path toward Palestinian self-determination and potential statehood.
The initiative has won broad international support, including from major Western and Arab nations.
On Oct. 8, Trump announced that Israel and Hamas had agreed to begin the first phase of the deal — releasing hostages in exchange for 2,000 Palestinian prisoners within 72 hours of an Israeli withdrawal to agreed lines. A ceasefire took effect on Oct. 10, though multiple violations have since been reported.
The UNSC draft resolution would welcome the “constructive role” played by the US, Qatar, Egypt and Turkiye in having facilitated the Gaza ceasefire.
The text would authorize member states working with a new transitional body — the Board of Peace — to “establish a temporary International Stabilization Force in Gaza to deploy under unified command acceptable to the BoP.”
The ISF, according to the draft, would operate “in close consultation and cooperation” with Egypt and Israel, and would be empowered “to use all necessary measures to carry out its mandate consistent with international law, including international humanitarian law.”
The force would help secure Gaza’s borders, stabilize the security environment and oversee the demilitarization of Hamas.
Its tasks would include “the destruction and prevention of rebuilding of the military, terror, and offensive infrastructure, as well as the permanent decommissioning of weapons from non-state armed groups.”
The ISF would also “protect civilians, including humanitarian operations,” train and support vetted Palestinian police forces, coordinate humanitarian corridors and assist the BoP in monitoring the ceasefire.
It would be funded through voluntary contributions from governments and donors, and operate under BoP strategic guidance until at least Dec. 31, 2027.
Beyond the security arrangements, the US text proposes a sweeping international role in Gaza’s governance and reconstruction.
The BoP would serve as a transitional administration overseeing aid delivery, redevelopment and reform “until such time as the Palestinian Authority has satisfactorily completed its reform program.”
Under the plan, operational entities established by the BoP would manage Gaza’s day-to-day civil service, reconstruction projects and humanitarian programs.
The resolution calls on the World Bank and other financial institutions to establish a dedicated trust fund to support redevelopment.
The draft “underscores the importance of the full resumption of humanitarian aid,” warning that any organization misusing assistance “shall be deemed ineligible to provide continued or future aid.”
The US draft concludes by calling on UN members to contribute “personnel, equipment, and financial resources” to the BoP and ISF, and declares that the council will remain seized of the matter.
Diplomats said Washington is expected to begin consultations with other UNSC members later this week, though it was not immediately clear when or if the resolution would be put to a vote.
