The American proposal to provide a UN mandate for the International Stabilization Force (ISF) in the Gaza Strip met with opposition from Russia, China and some Arab states in the UN Security Council (SB) on Thursday. said the AP agency, citing unnamed diplomats. While the United States urged council members to support the resolution on President Donald Trump’s peace plan, According to Reuters, Russia came up with its own draft resolution. TASR informs about it.
- The proposal includes the creation of a Peace Council and an emphasis on a peace plan.
- Russia proposed an alternative without mentioning the Peace Council.
- The United States called for the rapid adoption of the resolution by the UN Security Council.
- Discussions focus on the conditions of the path to Palestinian statehood.
- The American proposal to send stabilization forces met with resistance from Russia, China and Arab countries.
China and Russia according to cited sources they want the USA to completely exclude the establishment of the so-called Peace Council as the Gaza Transitional Administration from its draft resolution. American representatives submitted it for discussion in the UN Security Council last week. The proposal would follow the ceasefire that has been in effect since October between Israel and the militant Hamas movement, and supported Trump’s plan.
The last document from Wednesday evening according to AP, among other things retains wording regarding the “establishment of a Peace Council”, which, after its eventual creation, would theoretically be chaired by Trump and whose mandate would last until the end of 2027.
Unlike the previous proposals the latest one mentions a possible future Palestinian state, AFP noticed. According to AP, its wording is still vague, but it states that once the Palestinian Authority implements the required reforms and the reconstruction of the Gaza Strip begins, “the conditions for a credible path to Palestinian self-determination and statehood can finally be met.”.
The American proposal would allow members of the UNSC create a temporary international stabilization force, which would work with Israel, Egypt and the newly trained Palestinian police to secure the border areas and demilitarize the Gaza Strip.
According to AP, some members of the UN Security Council are in favor of to move quickly to avoid disrupting progress towards peace. Arab and other countries that have expressed interest in participating in the ISF have also indicated that the UN mandate is essential for them to provide their troops.
On the contrary, Russia, China and Algeria expressed opposition to the US proposal, while all but two council members submitted amendments, said one of the diplomats. Points of contention, according to the sources, relate to the path to an independent Palestinian state and the timing of the withdrawal of Israeli forces from the Gaza Strip.
In a note seen by Reuters, the Russian mission to the United Nations said that her counter-proposal is inspired by the American concept. In it, Moscow asks the UN Secretary General to determine options for the ISF, but does not mention the Peace Council at all. “The aim of our proposal is to enable the Security Council to develop a balanced, acceptable and unified approach to achieving a permanent cessation of hostilities,” it is stated in the note.
In response to the reservations, the United States called on the UNSC to unite and adopt the resolution without delay. “Attempts to foment discord now – when an agreement on this resolution is being actively negotiated – have serious, tangible and completely unnecessary consequences for the Palestinians in Gaza.” pointed out in a statement the spokesperson of the American diplomatic representation at the UN.
According to one diplomat, the US now has probably three options on how to proceed. First, they can adopt some significant amendments. Second, they can put their proposal to a vote. And thirdly, they can form a “coalition of the willing” with other countries outside the UN, which would take over the role of stabilization forces and their financing.
It is questionable whether Russia or China would veto the US proposal, if they put it to a vote. One of the sources said that Moscow and Beijing demanded that more than half of the text be deleted, wanting only the creation of an ISF subject to the UNSC.
