Israel on Tuesday hailed Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan after its endorsement by the UN Security Council, as Hamas rejected the resolution which calls for the deployment of an international force in the Palestinian territory.
The United Nations Security Council voted Monday in favour of a US-drafted resolution bolstering President Trump’s plan for the Gaza Strip — which has allowed a fragile ceasefire to hold between Israel and Hamas since October 10.
The peace plan notably authorises the creation of an international force that would work with Israel and Egypt and newly-trained Palestinian police to help secure border areas and demilitarise Gaza.
Following the vote, Palestinians living in Gaza embraced a chance for life to improve, but had little faith that Israel would comply.
“Any international decision that benefits the Palestinians now is welcome. The important thing is that the war ends,” said 39-year-old Saeb Al-Hassanat, who lives in a school sheltering displaced people in central Gaza.
“It doesn’t matter who rules us. We welcome international administration of Gaza,” he told AFP, but added that “without strong pressure from the US, Israel will not comply with any decision, and the Security Council resolution will remain worthless.”
Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office hailed Trump’s plan on Tuesday, saying it would lead to “peace and prosperity because it insists upon full demilitarisation, disarmament and the deradicalisation of Gaza”.
On X, Netanyahu’s office said the plan would also “lead to further integration of Israel and its neighbours as well as expansion of Abraham Accords,” under which a few Arab countries have normalised ties with Israel.