NEW YORK CITY: The US mission to the UN on Wednesday said that key regional partners, including Saudi Arabia, Qatar and the UAE, have thrown their weight behind its draft resolution for Gaza.
The development signals a diplomatic push within the UN Security Council to advance a two-year transitional mandate for the war-torn enclave, and the deployment of an international stabilization force.
During a meeting convened by the US ambassador to the UN, Mike Waltz, the 10 elected, non-permanent members of the council (Algeria, Denmark, Greece, Guyana, Pakistan, Panama, South Korea, Sierra Leone, Slovenia and Somalia), joined by regional states including Saudi Arabia, Egypt, Qatar, Turkiye and the UAE, expressed support for the Washington-led initiative, a spokesperson for the US mission said.
The draft resolution endorses the creation of a transitional governance body, a so-called “Board of Peace.” Control of Gaza would therefore be transferred out of the hands of Hamas, and demilitarization would be imposed on the group.
The draft resolution also authorizes the deployment of an “International Stabilization Force” in Gaza that would operate under a two-year UN mandate. It would have the authority to use “all necessary measures” to protect civilians, oversee flows of humanitarian aid, secure zones along the borders with Israel and Egypt, demilitarize non-state actors, and train a new Palestinian police force.
The US spokesperson said the text of the resolution remains under development and it has not yet been formally circulated for consideration by all 15 members of the Security Council. No date was given for when this would happen.
The regional buy-in to the draft reflects the “historic opportunity” to end decades of bloodshed in the Middle East and transform Gaza into a safer, more prosperous territory, the spokesperson continued, and underlines the intent of the US to translate the resolution into results rather than “endless talk.”
The backing of major regional actors is significant because their participation is widely viewed as a prerequisite for authorization of any multinational stabilization force to operate in Gaza, and gain international legitimacy.
The US spokesperson stressed that no US troops would be deployed in Gaza. Instead, Washington has engaged in talks with states including Indonesia, the UAE, Egypt, Qatar, Turkiye and Azerbaijan about contributing troops to an international stabilization force.
The draft text reportedly stipulates that such a force would operate under a unified command, as agreed by the Board of Peace, Egypt and Israel once status-of-mission agreements are reached.
It further outlines a sequence of events through which the force will stabilize the security situation in Gaza, demilitarize non-state armed groups, decommission weapons, and oversee training and support for the newly vetted Palestinian police force.
