US Pushes for UN Security Council Adoption of Trump's Gaza Peace Plan: Prospects and Challenges

The Trump administration has called upon the United Nations Security Council to unify and support its draft resolution that aims to strengthen President Donald Trump's Gaza peace initiative.

On Thursday, the United States urged the UN Security Council to reach consensus and endorse its proposed resolution backing President Trump's peace plan for Gaza, cautioning that failure to do so could result in "grave" consequences for Palestinian civilians.

"Creating division at this critical moment—when negotiations on this resolution are actively underway—could have serious, concrete, and completely avoidable impacts on Palestinians in Gaza," stated a representative from the US mission to the UN.

The spokesperson emphasized, "The ceasefire remains delicate, and we encourage the Council to stand together and move ahead to secure the desperately needed peace," describing this as a "historic opportunity to establish a foundation for lasting peace across the Middle East."

US officials initiated discussions within the Council last week regarding a draft resolution that would build upon the ceasefire in the two-year Israel-Hamas conflict and validate Trump's proposal.

According to a third draft of the resolution reviewed by AFP on Thursday, it "welcomes the establishment of the Board of Peace," a transitional governance structure for Gaza—potentially chaired by Trump—with authority extending through the end of 2027.

The resolution would authorize member states to create a "temporary International Stabilization Force (ISF)" that would collaborate with Israel, Egypt, and newly trained Palestinian police forces to enhance security in border regions and demilitarize the Gaza Strip.

Additionally, the ISF would focus on the "permanent decommissioning of weapons from non-state armed groups," protecting civilian populations, and securing humanitarian assistance corridors.

Unlike earlier versions, this latest draft makes reference to a potential future Palestinian state.

The draft indicates that once the Palestinian Authority implements requested reforms and Gaza's reconstruction is in progress, "the conditions may finally be in place for a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood."

It further states, "The United States will establish a dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians to agree on a political horizon for peaceful and prosperous coexistence."

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio expressed optimism on Wednesday about the resolution's adoption.

"I believe we're making significant progress on the resolution's language, and hopefully we'll take action on it very soon," he told reporters while in Canada.

Although Council members apparently support the Board of Peace concept in principle, diplomats informed AFP that several concerns have been raised regarding the draft.

These issues include the absence of any mention in the text regarding Security Council oversight mechanisms, the future role of the Palestinian Authority, and specific details concerning the ISF's mandate.