Washington circulated a draft resolution to the 15 members last week, proposing a two-year mandate for a transitional governing body and an international stabilization force in Gaza. However, the Russian mission, in a note seen by Reuters, said its draft was "inspired by the American proposal," but that it sought "a balanced, acceptable, and unified approach to achieving a sustainable cessation of hostilities."
The Russian draft asks the UN Secretary-General to present options for creating an international force to stabilize Gaza, without any reference to the "Peace Council" included in the US plan to manage the transitional phase.
In contrast, the US mission urged the council to move forward with the project, which Washington describes as having regional support, warning that "attempts to sow discord now will have avoidable consequences for Palestinians in Gaza," given the "fragile" ceasefire.
The American draft is based on Trump’s 20-point plan, the first phase of which was agreed upon by Israel and Hamas last October, and includes a ceasefire and the release of hostages in exchange for Palestinian detainees.
But diplomatic sources at the United Nations confirmed to the Associated Press that the US draft resolution faces opposition from Russia, China, and some Arab states, which expressed "concern about the absence of any role for the Palestinian Authority in governing Gaza." Moscow and Beijing also demanded the removal of the "Peace Council" from the text.
The latest version of the American draft, revealed Wednesday evening, includes continued reference to the council that Trump will chair and which includes other heads of state, with the addition of clauses that affirm a broader commitment to the Palestinians’ right to self-determination.
The Trump administration is working to establish an international "executive" peacekeeping force tasked with protecting civilians and humanitarian corridors, securing Gaza's borders with Egypt and Israel, and training a new Palestinian police force. According to US reports, the force would also be mandated to dismantle the military infrastructure and disarm factions, including Hamas's Qassam Brigades, if they refuse to do so voluntarily.
The draft resolution is expected to be put to a vote in the coming weeks, paving the way for the deployment of the first units of the international force in January.
In contrast, Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdel-Aty, in an interview with the Turkish channel Haber Turk, stressed the necessity for this force to be "part of a peacekeeping mission" to ensure its viability. He emphasized the importance of its entry into Gaza with Palestinian consent so as not to be considered an "occupying force." He clarified that participation would be voluntary and that consultations were still underway to determine the contributing countries and the number of personnel.
Abdel-Aati noted that a number of Islamic and European countries had expressed their willingness to participate, while the dispute within the Security Council still reflects the depth of the division over the future of the sector after more than two years of war.
The two-year war on Gaza left more than 69,000 Palestinian martyrs and more than 170,000 wounded, most of them children and women, with reconstruction estimated by the United Nations to cost about $70 billion.
A ceasefire agreement has been in place between Hamas and Israel since October 10, but the latter violates it daily, resulting in hundreds of Palestinian martyrs and wounded, as well as restricting the entry of food and medical supplies.