By LEE KEATH, Related Press
CAIRO (AP) — The U.N. Safety Council has backed america’ formidable plan for the way forward for the Gaza Strip. How and when it will likely be carried out stay largely unknown.
In a twist unimaginable throughout the tumultuous historical past of the Israeli-Palestinian battle, the plan would imply President Donald Trump turns into the de facto ruler of Gaza. The territory stays devastated by Israel’s marketing campaign to eradicate Hamas after its Oct. 7, 2023, assault that sparked the conflict.
A world physique often known as the Board of Peace, chaired by Trump, is to control Gaza and oversee reconstruction beneath a two-year, renewable U.N. mandate. An armed Worldwide Stabilization Pressure is to maintain safety and make sure the disarming of Hamas, a key demand of Israel.
Main questions dangle over almost each a part of the plan and the timeframe for implementation. Within the meantime, almost all Palestinians stay displaced and depending on humanitarian support, Hamas retains vital management over almost half of Gaza and the rebuilding of the territory has barely begun.
President Donald Trump waits to welcome Saudi Arabia’s Crown Prince Mohammed bin Salman to the White Home, Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025, in Washington. (AP Picture/Mark Schiefelbein)
Challenges at each step
Some talks over the subsequent steps have taken place behind the scenes among the many U.S., Israel, Qatar, Egypt and different international locations. However critical negotiations haven’t begun as a result of Israel and Hamas stay within the first part of the ceasefire deal that got here into impact in October. Hamas continues to be required at hand over the our bodies of the final three hostages.
The U.N. decision handed Monday gave the plan worldwide legitimacy. That opens the door for Arab and Muslim-majority nations to take part, significantly by contributing troops to the ISF. The U.S. is hoping that the extra these international locations are concerned, the extra palatable the worldwide rule will probably be for Gaza’s greater than 2 million folks.
However the Palestinian public’s acceptance is way from sure. With out it, the Board of Peace dangers turning into seen as a overseas occupation engaged on behalf of Israel, additional thwarting their dream of self-determination and statehood.
The plan offers Palestinians virtually no voice in governing Gaza. Due to Israel’s fierce opposition, it doesn’t promise statehood, providing solely a obscure reference that it’d sooner or later be attainable. It additionally offers solely an ambiguous timetable for reconstruction to start and for the Israeli army to withdraw from the round 50% of the Gaza Strip that it nonetheless holds because the ceasefire started.
Israeli tanks are parked in a staging space close to the border with Gaza, in southern Israel, Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025. (AP Picture/Ohad Zwigenberg)
Will disarmament occur?
Disarming Hamas and demilitarizing Gaza are the keystones to the entire plan. However there’s no element on how that may occur.
To date, Hamas has not agreed to disarm. In an announcement after the U.N. decision’s passage, Hamas mentioned the destiny of its weapons is related to making sure a path to the top of the Israeli occupation and the creation of a Palestinian state.
The Worldwide Stabilization Pressure is tasked with guaranteeing disarmament and the destruction of Hamas’ army infrastructure. The ISF can even oversee a Palestinian police drive, made up of vetted members educated by Egypt and Jordan.
A lot of nations have been cited as attainable contributors to the ISF, together with Egypt, Indonesia, Turkey and Azerbaijan. However none has dedicated to sending troops but, and Israel opposes Turkey taking part within the drive.
They’re unlikely to need their troopers to take Hamas’ weapons by drive. Hamas warned that attempting to take action would flip the ISF “into a party to the conflict in favor of the occupation.”
Hamas is beneath heavy strain, significantly from Qatar and Egypt, to discover a compromise. One attainable concept is a “decommissioning” – handing the arsenal over to the ISF for safekeeping — which Hamas might argue just isn’t a everlasting give up of its proper to armed resistance.
With out disarmament, a lot of the remainder of the plan might stall. Israel’s troop withdrawal is linked to the tempo of Hamas demilitarization and the deployment of the ISF. Reconstruction can also be unlikely to occur in most of Gaza except Hamas disarms.
Many Palestinians worry the top outcome will probably be a partition of Gaza between an Israeli-controlled zone, the place some reconstruction may happen, and the remaining, the place virtually all the inhabitants of greater than 2 million reside with little rebuilding.
Palestinian youngsters have a look at the digital camera as they play in a makeshift camp for displaced folks in Zawayda, within the central Gaza Strip, Tuesday, Nov. 18, 2025. (AP Picture/Abdel Kareem Hana)
Who will make up the Board of Peace?
Trump has mentioned the board will probably be made up of “distinguished leaders” from different international locations, together with former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, and that its members will probably be named within the coming weeks.
However who they are going to be is unknown, and even Blair’s participation has not been confirmed.
The U.N. decision offers the Board full say in Gaza with powers over the ISF, reconstruction and financial restoration. The Board can also be to supervise a “technocratic, apolitical committee of competent Palestinians” who will run the day-to-day civil service in Gaza.
FILE – A normal view reveals a Safety Council assembly on the U.N. headquarters, Sept. 23, 2025, on the United Nations. (AP Picture/Yuki Iwamura, File)
Who’re these unbiased Palestinians?
The members of the Palestinian committee are to haven’t any connection to both Hamas or the Palestinian Authority, which presently administers scattered elements of the Israeli-occupied West Financial institution. Israel has rejected any position for the PA in Gaza.
The plan doesn’t specify who will choose the members, however that seemingly will fall to the Board of Peace. Israel will need to have a powerful say in who could be included.
In a web based publish, Palestinian political analyst and pollster Khalil Shikaki mentioned the committee must be picked by means of “an all Palestinian” course of to spice up its assist, consulting amongst political factions, commerce syndicates, native leaders and ladies’s and youth organizations.
But when the Board and the committee are seen as a software for the U.S. or Israel, outstanding Palestinians could also be reluctant to affix. In its assertion Monday, Hamas denounced the “international guardianship” that the U.N. decision locations on Gaza, saying it goals to additional Israel’s pursuits.
What’s all this resulting in?
The plan emphasizes two targets for Gaza – demilitarization and reconstruction. Something past that is still largely clean.
The U.N. decision provides the opportunity of the Palestinian Authority finally taking management of Gaza if it carries out a slate of inside reforms to the satisfaction of the Board of Peace – every little thing from combating corruption, rising effectivity to holding elections.
The Palestinian Authority welcomed the U.N. decision in an announcement Monday and mentioned it was ready to step in to control Gaza. However Israeli opposition raises doubts whether or not that may ever be allowed to occur.
Below strain from Arab allies, america inserted a reference to Palestinian statehood within the U.N. decision.
However it stays solely a obscure nod. It states that if the Palestinian Authority “faithfully” carries out reforms and if Gaza redevelopment advances, “conditions may finally be in place for a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood.”
The shortage of a transparent path to self-determination threatens to complicate each different step. For instance, Shikaki wrote, and not using a path to statehood, “disarmament will be seen as capitulation; with it, demobilization can be framed as part of national strategy.”
For a lot of the inhabitants, the precedence is to see reconstruction and a revival of Gaza’s financial system so households have livelihoods. If that comes, it might paper over reluctance towards worldwide rule, not less than for a time. If it doesn’t or if Palestinians see no progress towards self-determination, resentment is prone to mount.
The potential for chaos is excessive with the a number of divisions inside Gaza. Already, the territory has Hamas, a number of Israeli-backed armed gangs that oppose the group and the Israeli army itself. Add to these a Palestinian police drive, worldwide troops, Palestinians who be part of the administration and people who oppose it – and the scene turns into much more unstable.
