US calls on Security Council to back its proposal creating international force for Gaza

The US publicly calls on fellow members of the UN Security Council to back Washington’s resolution to establish an International Stabilization Force to help secure postwar Gaza.

A statement from the US Mission to the UN says that the Trump administration has been working on the resolution for the past month, with input from Qatar, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, Turkey and the UAE.

Last week, the US mission began negotiations on a draft with fellow Security Council members in order to provide an international mandate for the ISF that would “begin a stable, secure, peaceful and prosperous future for Palestinians in Gaza, free of Hamas,” the US statement says.

“We urge the Security Council to seize this historic moment to pave a path towards enduring peace in the Middle East by supporting this resolution,” the US says.

“Attempts to sow discord now – when agreement on this resolution is under active negotiation – has grave, tangible, and entirely avoidable consequences for Palestinians in Gaza. The ceasefire is fragile and we urge the council to unite and move forward to secure the peace that is desperately needed,” the statement adds.

The US doesn’t elaborate on why the statement was issued, but the text indicates that Washington is facing mounting pushback to the effort.

Countries have yet to publicly announce decisions to contribute troops to the ISF amid fears the force will be tasked not just with securing Gaza’s borders, the distribution of humanitarian aid and day-to-day security functions, but also with entering into combat in order to disarm Hamas, which has shown no appetite for willingly giving up its arms as envisioned by US President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan for ending the Gaza war.

The Times of Israel obtained and verified a copy of the US resolution’s text on Wednesday, and a Western diplomat said Washington is hoping to bring the matter to a vote in the coming days.