Hamas vs. “Board of Peace”: Gaza Plan Faces Internal and External Foes

The UN Security Council’s new Gaza resolution, which establishes a “Board of Peace” chaired by President Donald Trump, is facing a two-front war before it even begins. The US-drafted plan, adopted on Monday, was immediately rejected by Hamas, the ruling power in Gaza, which vowed to resist it. Simultaneously, the plan was criticized by permanent council members Russia and China, who abstained from the vote, warning that the UN was ceding all control to a US-run project.
The resolution’s core is a two-part system. The “Board of Peace” is a new transitional authority, led by Trump, to oversee Gaza’s reconstruction and economic recovery. Alongside it, an “international stabilization force” (ISF) is authorized to demilitarize the enclave, decommissioning weapons and destroying military infrastructure. US Ambassador Mike Waltz celebrated this as a way to “dismantle Hamas’ grip” and create a “prosperous and secure” Gaza.
Hamas’s response was a declaration of defiance. The group’s statement, issued after the vote, called the plan an “international guardianship mechanism” that its people “reject.” Most critically, Hamas stated it “will not disarm” and will continue its “legitimate resistance,” a direct challenge to the ISF’s entire mandate.
At the UN, the plan’s passage was not a moment of unity. Russian Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya warned that the council was “giving its blessing” to a US plan “the modalities of which we know nothing about.” Both Russia and China lamented the complete lack of a role for the United Nations, raising concerns about the accountability and international legitimacy of the new board.
The plan’s only regional supporters are also a source of division. The Palestinian Authority (PA) welcomed the resolution, a move diplomats said was key to preventing a Russian veto. The PA’s support is likely linked to a clause promising a “pathway to… statehood.” However, this same clause has drawn public condemnation from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who is opposed to a Palestinian state, illustrating the plan’s deeply contradictory foundations.