The United States has presented a draft resolution to the United Nations Security Council to endorse President Donald Trump's peace plan for Gaza, a move that has been met with significant concern from Palestinian rights advocates and international law experts who argue the plan undermines Palestinian sovereignty and international law.
The United States formally circulated a draft UN Security Council resolution to partner nations, aiming to bolster President Donald Trump's 20-point plan for Gaza. The resolution welcomes the "Board of Peace," a transitional governing body that Trump would chair, and authorizes an "International Stabilisation Force" (ISF) for the territory. Diplomatic sources indicate that several countries are willing to participate in this force but insist on a Security Council mandate before deploying troops. The draft resolution would grant this ISF the authority to "use all necessary measures" to carry out its mandate, which includes protecting civilians, securing border areas, and ensuring the demilitarization of the Gaza Strip.
Critics and legal experts have raised alarms that the U.S. plan dangerously deprioritizes international law and Palestinian self-determination. The plan reframes the core issue as Palestinian radicalization, proposing that a third party take over the management of Gaza's affairs for an indeterminate period, rather than prioritizing Palestinian sovereignty. This approach directly conflicts with the July 2024 International Court of Justice (ICJ) advisory opinion, which found Israel's indefinite military occupation of Palestinian territories to be illegal and affirmed the practice of apartheid. Furthermore, the plan conditions the Palestinian Authority's return to governance on ending legal pursuits against Israel at international courts, which critics label an attempt to obstruct legal proceedings for potential war crimes.
The unveiling of the U.S.-Israeli plan has shifted international attention away from a broader, multilateral UN conference that aimed to build momentum for a two-state solution grounded in international law. This conference saw a surge in countries officially recognizing the State of Palestine, bringing the total to nearly 160 states, including four of the five permanent UN Security Council members. In a significant move, France recently recognized Palestine and set out a plan for a UN-mandated international force, a proposal that gained support from many nations but was dismissed by Israel and the U.S.. Analysts from the Carnegie Endowment argue that the U.S. plan "undermines the ICJ advisory opinion" and is designed to "obstruct the very international legal mechanisms" that have mobilized global support for Palestine.
The U.S. has stated it is seeking a Security Council vote on the draft resolution within "weeks, not months". While the plan is framed by its proponents as "the most promising plan for peace in a generation," its reception is mixed. Key stakeholders, including the UN Secretary-General and most Arab countries, have welcomed the U.S. diplomatic efforts without endorsing the plan's specific terms, which they find problematic. For the plan to have any chance of success, the UN and key nations would need to work with the U.S. to significantly revise it toward greater alignment with international law; failure to do so risks prolonging the suffering in Gaza and condemning the region to further instability.