UN chief hails vote allowing stabilization force in Gaza

The United Nations Security Council adopted a resolution on Monday to establish an International Stabilization Force in the Gaza Strip.

UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres and the Palestinian Authority welcomed the vote, while Palestinian militant group Hamas voiced rejection.

Resolution 2803 passed with 13 votes in favor, none against and abstentions from permanent members China and Russia.

The resolution also supports the creation of a Board of Peace to serve "as a transitional administration" in Gaza that will coordinate reconstruction efforts. It authorizes the board to establish a temporary International Stabilization Force under a unified command acceptable to the board. Countries contributing personnel to the force will do so "in close consultation" with Egypt and Israel.

Fu Cong, China's permanent representative to the UN, said the draft remained "vague" on a number of crucial matters.

It lacked a clear Palestinian presence and "fails to reflect the fundamental principle of 'the Palestinians governing Palestine'", Fu said. The text does not explicitly reaffirm a commitment to the internationally recognized two-state solution or ensure meaningful participation by the UN or the Security Council, he added.

Regarding the International Stabilization Force, he pointed out the absence of detailed explanations about its structure, mandate or participation criteria, calling such information "the necessary basis for serious Council discussion".

Russia's UN envoy, Vassily Nebenzia, said the resolution lacked clarity on time frames and the transfer of control in Gaza to the Palestinian Authority.

He likened the resolution to "colonial practices and the League of Nations' British Mandate for Palestine", where Palestinian opinions were not taken into account.

In a post on X on Monday, Guterres called on all parties to "turn this momentum into concrete action".

"I urge everyone to help transform the ceasefire into lasting peace and make the Middle East a zone free of all weapons of mass destruction. The people deserve stability and peace," he said.

Ayman Yousef, a professor of international relations at the Arab American University in Jenin, West Bank, said China and Russia refrained from using their veto power in the Security Council after the United States revised the draft and secured the approval of Arab and regional countries.

According to the UN, the resolution includes a text that welcomes the Comprehensive Plan announced by US President Donald Trump on Sept 29. The first phase of the 20-point plan led to a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel days later, the UN said.

The Palestinian Authority welcomed the news, calling for its immediate implementation and expressing readiness to cooperate with partners, the Palestinian news agency WAFA reported.

However, Hamas rejected the resolution, saying it would be replacing Israeli occupation with "foreign guardianship".

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu applauded Trump and his team, his office said, noting the resolution would "lead to peace and prosperity because it insists upon full demilitarization, disarmament and the deradicalization of Gaza".

The response contrasted with the stance of Minister of National Security Itamar Ben-Gvir, who openly called for the assassination and arrest of Palestinian authorities, should the UN vote to endorse a Palestinian state. These statements were condemned by Palestine's Foreign Ministry.

Yousef said the resolution "is designed to serve the Israeli interests better than the Palestinian interests".

"The United States has tailored this decision and the draft of this resolution in order to ease pressure on Israel, (as) there are objections within the Israeli Likud government," he said, adding that these people did not want to withdraw from Gaza, preferring instead to partition the enclave.

Contact the writers at jan@chinadailyapac.com