On Monday, the UN Security Council passed a US-sponsored resolution which backs US President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan for ending Israel’s war on Gaza.
Among the clauses was one that supported the creation and deployment of an international stabilisation force (ISF) to provide security and oversight of the ceasefire agreement in Gaza.
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In theory, this security body will work with Israel and Egypt to “demilitarise” the Gaza Strip and will reportedly train a Palestinian police force.
Despite the passing of a resolution that “acknowledges the parties have accepted” the Trump plan, Israeli air strikes on Gaza continued, including on areas on the Palestinian side of the yellow line.
So what is the ISF, and what does it mean for Gaza? Here’s what you need to know:
What is the ISF?
The ISF is envisioned as a multinational force that would deploy to Gaza to help train police, secure the borders, maintain security by helping demilitarise Gaza, protect civilians and humanitarian operations, including securing humanitarian corridors, among “additional tasks as may be necessary in support of the Comprehensive Plan”.
Essentially, the force would take over many of the security responsibilities that have been managed by Hamas over the last 19 years.
Since 2006, Hamas has been in charge of governing the Gaza Strip, including managing its social and security services.
Trump’s Comprehensive Plan was formulated with no input from Palestinian parties.
Who makes up the force?
That is still unclear, though under the resolution, the forces will work with Israel and Egypt and a newly trained Palestinian police force that will not be under Hamas or the Palestinian Authority.
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A senior adviser to Trump said Azerbaijan and Indonesia had offered to send troops.
He also said Egypt, Qatar and the UAE were in talks about contributing, though a senior Emirati official, Anwar Gargash, said his country would not participate. Reports have said Egypt could lead the force.
In October, Turkiye’s President Recep Tayyip Erdogan said his country was ready to provide support to Gaza.
But as tensions have heated up between Turkiye and Israel, the latter’s Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar said Israel would not agree to Turkish troops on the ground in Gaza.
And how did the vote go?
It passed with a 13-0 vote.
But Russia and China abstained, expressing concern over the lack of Palestinian participation in the force and the lack of a clear role for the UN in the future of Gaza.
Russia had earlier proposed its own resolution that was “inspired by the US draft”.
Russia’s version requests that the UN secretary-general be involved in identifying potential options to participate in the international stabilisation force for Gaza.
It did not mention Trump’s so-called “board of peace” that would act as a transitional administration in Gaza.
What was Hamas’s response?
They rejected the resolution. The group released a statement on social messaging app Telegram, saying the vote “imposes an international guardianship mechanism on the Gaza Strip”.
Under Trump’s plan, Hamas would have no role in Gaza and would be disarmed, with its personnel offered two options: either commit to coexistence or be granted safe passage out of Gaza.
Hamas has repeatedly said it would give up governance but is not willing to give up its arms.
For his part, Israel’s Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said in the Knesset, the Israeli parliament, recently that the war “has not ended” and that Hamas would be disarmed.
What did Israel say?
Israel focused on the disarmament of Hamas, with its UN envoy Danny Danon saying his country would “demonstrate … determination in ensuring that Hamas is disarmed”.
In Israel, the resolution led at least one opposition party to lambast Netanyahu’s government.
“What happened tonight at the UN is a result of the Israeli government’s failed conduct,” Avigdor Lieberman, an ultranationalist politician who leads the Yisrael Beytenu party, wrote on X.
“The decision led to a Palestinian state, a Saudi nuclear [programme] and F-35 planes for Turkey and Saudi Arabia.”
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