The UN Security Council has given a green light to an “international stabilization force” (ISF) with a clear mandate to demilitarize the Gaza Strip, a move that is setting the stage for a direct clash with Hamas. The US-drafted resolution, adopted on Monday, endorses President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan and empowers this new force to “decommission weapons” and “destroy military infrastructure.” Hamas immediately responded, vowing it “will not disarm.”
The resolution, which passed despite Russian and Chinese abstentions, is seen as the cornerstone of a new US-led security architecture for the region. It aims to end the two-year war by removing Hamas’s military capabilities. US Ambassador Mike Waltz told the council the plan “dismantles Hamas’ grip” and ensures Gaza will be “free from terror’s shadow.” The resolution’s passage is intended to provide the legal basis for countries to contribute troops to this challenging mission.
Hamas’s rejection was unambiguous. The group, which rules Gaza, issued a statement calling the resolution an “international guardianship mechanism” that its people “reject.” The declaration that it “will not disarm” and will continue its “legitimate resistance” is a direct challenge to the UN-backed force’s core mission, raising the prospect of a new, intense conflict.
The plan also lacks unified support from global powers. Russia and China abstained, criticizing the resolution for sidelining the UN. Russian Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya warned that the council was blessing a US-led initiative “the modalities of which we know nothing about,” and ceding “complete control” to the ISF and a new “Board of Peace” chaired by Trump.
This new board will be responsible for reconstruction, a task that seems impossible without security. The plan’s only regional supporter is the Palestinian Authority, which welcomed the resolution. However, its support is linked to a “pathway to… statehood” clause that Israel’s Prime Minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, has publicly rejected, highlighting the deeply unstable foundation of the newly adopted plan.