A week after the US submitted its draft Gaza resolution to members of the Security Council, Russia has produced a counter-proposal “inspired” by the US proposal. Russian documents obtained by Reuters news agency request the Secretary-General. … The UN has mentioned the creation of an international stabilization force in Gaza, but not a “peace commission”. The commission is a body proposed by Washington for interim governance of the Gaza Strip and would be headed by Donald Trump. This shift is due to Moscow’s preference to bypass external power structures in favor of a cessation of hostilities and the protection of civilians.
Israeli media highlighted the circulation of a third draft, which for the first time mentions the possibility of a future Palestinian state. AFP news agency said that if the reforms demanded by the Palestinian National Authority are carried out and Gaza’s reconstruction progresses, “the conditions for a credible path to self-determination and the establishment of a Palestinian state may finally be in place.” According to the document, “the United States will establish a dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians to agree on a political horizon for peaceful and prosperous coexistence.”
The US mission to the United Nations warned: “Attempts to sow discord now that an agreement on this resolution is under active negotiation will have serious, concrete and entirely avoidable consequences for the Palestinian people in Gaza (…) The ceasefire is fragile and we urge the Security Council to move forward in unity to achieve the urgently needed peace.” Despite the different versions on the table, Secretary of State Marco Rubio said, “We are optimistic that this will happen. We think the drafting of the resolution is progressing well and we hope that action will be taken soon.”Israeli officials have already asked military commanders to prepare a Plan B in case the deal does not advance to phase two.
The fact that there are several proposals indicates that an agreement in the Council seems far from being realized, and the move to the second phase of the agreement, in which the deployment of international troops is a key step, is filled with uncertainty. The force’s mission is unclear, and countries such as the United Arab Emirates have resigned in recent days. Other countries, such as Indonesia, have come forward to provide 20,000 soldiers trained to perform health and construction-related tasks during peacekeeping operations.
In addition to this military force, a new Palestinian police force is also being prepared. European Union foreign ministers are scheduled to discuss next week a proposal for the bloc to lead the training of 3,000 staff on the Strip.
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