Deep Palestinian divide after UN Security Council backs US ceasefire plan for Gaza

The UN Security Council on Monday adopted a US-drafted resolution endorsing President Donald Trump’s plan to halt the war in the Gaza Strip, including the deployment of an international stabilization force to uphold the ceasefire agreement reached last October.

The vote marked a diplomatic win for Washington but triggered sharp rejection from several Palestinian factions, which warned that the proposal would impose international “guardianship” over Gaza.

The Palestinian Authority welcomed the resolution, saying it reaffirms a permanent and comprehensive ceasefire, guarantees unimpeded humanitarian aid, and supports the Palestinian right to self-determination and the establishment of an independent state. The PA urged its immediate implementation to restore normal life for Gaza’s devastated population, ensure civilian protection, prevent displacement, facilitate full Israeli withdrawal, and launch reconstruction.

However, Palestinian factions — led by Hamas and Islamic Jihad — denounced the resolution. Hamas said it “does not meet Palestinian rights and demands,” warning that authorizing an international force with responsibilities that include disarming the resistance “strips the mission of neutrality and turns it into a party to the conflict in favor of the occupation.”

Islamic Jihad rejected the resolution as a form of “international guardianship over Gaza,” arguing that it seeks to achieve objectives Israel failed to accomplish through repeated military campaigns. The group also praised a shooting and stabbing attack carried out near the Gush Etzion settlement, calling it a response to “settler and army crimes.”

Other Palestinian factions issued a joint statement condemning the resolution as a tool of “international partnership in the genocide of our people.” They argued that the proposal sets up field arrangements “outside Palestinian national will” and ties the end of the war and Israeli withdrawal to conditions dictated by Israel.

Israel welcomed the US plan. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office said it would “bring peace and prosperity” by ensuring the “complete disarmament of Gaza and eradication of extremism,” allowing for further regional integration and expansion of the Abraham Accords.

UN Secretary-General António Guterres described the Security Council’s vote as an important step toward consolidating the ceasefire. He called for diplomatic momentum to be translated into concrete action to scale up humanitarian assistance and revive a political process leading to a two-state solution. He noted that the second phase of the U.S. initiative is intended to launch such a process.

The European Union also welcomed the vote, calling it “an important step toward ending the conflict in Gaza.” An EU spokesperson said the resolution reinforces the ceasefire and opens the door to early recovery, reconstruction, and institutional reform. Indonesia likewise endorsed the resolution and reiterated its support for an independent Palestinian state, signaling readiness to contribute troops — potentially up to 20,000 — to the proposed UN-mandated stabilization force.

In Amman, Jordanian Prime Minister Jaafar Hassan met with Palestinian Prime Minister Mohammad Mustafa to discuss recent developments and efforts to reinforce the ceasefire. Hassan said Jordan’s support for Palestinian rights and statehood “is firm and unwavering,” stressing the need to build on growing international recognition of Palestine and coordinate with Washington to ensure the stabilization force succeeds and a viable political process emerges.

On the ground, Israeli forces continued to violate the ceasefire, carrying out pre-dawn airstrikes on eastern Khan Younis in southern Gaza. The enclave remains in a dire humanitarian crisis, with widespread destruction and a critical shortage of shelter. The UN reported that 17,000 families were affected by recent heavy rainfall, and thousands of children are sleeping outdoors without adequate clothing, with many suffering from malnutrition and weakened immunity.