The United Nations Security Council is now reportedly poised to endorse President Trump’s Middle East peace initiative on Monday, marking what administration officials describe as a pivotal step toward stabilizing Gaza after the two-year Israel-Hamas conflict.
The expected approval follows weeks of intensive diplomacy involving senior Trump officials, U.S. allies, and a range of regional governments seeking clarity on Gaza’s political future.
According to two U.S. officials, the administration anticipates that both Russia and China—longstanding skeptics of American-led peace efforts—will abstain rather than exercise their vetoes.
Such an outcome would amount to a significant diplomatic victory for the United States, providing international backing for a plan the administration argues is essential to preventing a resurgence of terrorism in Gaza and ensuring long-term security for Israel.
At the center of the draft resolution is the creation of a legal mandate for an international stabilization force in Gaza, a step the Trump administration views as the linchpin of its strategy.
The measure would also establish a “Board of Peace,” an interim body charged with overseeing reconstruction and forming a transitional government. For the administration, the framework is designed to fill the political vacuum left by Hamas while introducing mechanisms aimed at curbing the group’s ability to rearm.
Still, the plan leaves unresolved questions regarding the pathway to Palestinian statehood and the practical challenges of disarming Hamas—issues that have long divided regional stakeholders. The resolution stops short of detailing how disarmament would occur, even as both the United States and Israel have insisted that Hamas’s military capabilities must be neutralized as a condition for lasting peace.
Interest in joining the stabilization force has emerged from several countries involved in negotiations, including Egypt, Turkey, Pakistan, Azerbaijan and Indonesia. These governments, however, have emphasized to U.S. officials that they require a formal U.N. mandate before committing troops—a key reason the administration sees passage of the resolution as essential.
Winning broader support from Arab and European countries required extensive revisions to the resolution’s text, with negotiators addressing concerns about Gaza’s governance and Palestinian self-determination. The latest draft includes more explicit references to the future role of the Palestinian Authority, an element Arab officials had pressed for during deliberations.
Much of the diplomatic push was led by U.S. Ambassador to the U.N. Mike Waltz, who held repeated discussions with his Russian and Chinese counterparts. Jared Kushner, the president’s son-in-law and former senior adviser, also played a significant role, administration officials said, working to secure backing from key regional partners.
Eight Muslim and Middle Eastern nations—Qatar, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Pakistan, Jordan and Turkey—joined the United States in urging swift passage of the measure. Trump officials have stressed that American troops will not participate in the stabilization force, although the U.S. intends to play a central diplomatic role in its formation. The mandate for the force would extend through 2027.
The revised draft includes a requirement for progress reports to the Security Council every six months—an addition demanded by China, Russia and Algeria to ensure the body retains oversight over any future changes in Gaza.
Yet deep divisions remain. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated his long-standing opposition to a Palestinian state, declaring Sunday, “Our opposition to a Palestinian state in any area west of the Jordan, this opposition exists and is strong and hasn’t changed whatsoever.”
Hamas and other Palestinian factions rejected the resolution on Monday, calling it “dangerous” and denouncing any provisions for disarmament or international authority within Gaza. Though Egypt has pressed Hamas to disarm voluntarily, the group has told Egyptian officials it would consider dismantling heavy weapons only if Israel withdraws fully and a credible path to statehood emerges. Members of its military wing suggested retaining personal firearms for “self-defense.”
As the vote approaches, the resolution stands as a test not only of Trump’s diplomatic strategy but of whether an international consensus can be forged around Gaza’s uncertain future.
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