In a move described as one of the oddest in United Nations history, the UN Security Council has passed a resolution aimed at transforming a fragile Gaza ceasefire into a lasting peace, granting former US President Donald Trump supreme authority over the territory.
The resolution, passed on Tuesday evening, establishes a 'board of peace' to be chaired by Donald Trump, which will oversee Gaza's administration for a two-year period. This board, which Trump stated would include "the most powerful and respected Leaders throughout the World", will not be subordinate to the UN itself.
The Unprecedented Peace Framework
UN Security Council Resolution 2803, which passed with a 13-0 vote and abstentions from Russia and China, creates a complex new structure for Gaza. The 'board of peace' will supervise an International Stabilisation Force (ISF), tasked with demilitarising the strip and taking over security from Israeli forces.
However, critical details remain shrouded in uncertainty. The membership of both the ISF and the board itself is undetermined. The United States is pushing for the force to deploy by January and has approached nations including Egypt, Indonesia, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates, though their participation remains tentative.
The resolution also calls for a committee of Palestinian technocrats to handle Gaza's day-to-day governance and a local police force. Finding individuals with both the technical expertise and credibility with Gaza's 2.2 million survivors willing to work under this framework presents a significant challenge.
Immediate Challenges and Contradictions
The plan faces immediate practical and political hurdles. Hamas has already insisted it will not disarm, setting the stage for a potential confrontation with the multinational force, for which there is little appetite. Furthermore, the transition of security responsibilities from the Israeli Defence Forces to the ISF could itself become a flashpoint.
The resolution's language on Palestinian statehood was a key point of negotiation. It offers a conditional and distant pathway to statehood, stating that "conditions may be in place for a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood" only if the Palestinian Authority undertakes reforms and Gaza's rebuilding advances.
European diplomats viewed the mere inclusion of the words "Palestinian self-determination and statehood" as a victory, given the Trump administration's historical stance. This wording, however, provoked fury from the hard-right flank of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu's coalition, forcing him to reiterate his opposition to Palestinian sovereignty.
A Calculated Gamble for a Lasting Peace
The resolution's passage reflects a global sense of exhaustion after two years of conflict in Gaza, which has left over 70,000 dead and 70% of buildings destroyed, alongside a UN commission finding of genocide by Israel.
While US envoy Mike Waltz hailed the resolution as "transformative", other council members were more cautious. Their support appears to be a strategic gamble. By engaging with the 'Trump plan', they hope to maintain a flow of humanitarian aid into Gaza and use international participation on the board and in the ISF to gradually steer the process towards a two-state solution and prevent exclusive Israeli control.
As veteran US negotiator Aaron David Miller noted, the resolution reflects a new reality: Trump has internationalised the Gaza issue while supporting a two-state solution as an end goal. The world now watches to see if this uniquely vague and ambitious framework can be implemented, or if it will collapse under the weight of its own contradictions.
