ISLAMABAD: Pakistan voted in favor of a US plan authorizing an International Stabilization Force (ISF) in Gaza to maintain peace in the region on Monday, with its UN ambassador calling for the complete withdrawal of Israeli troops from the area and reiterating support for Palestinians’ right to self-determination.
The UN Security Council on Monday voted 13-0 in favor of Washington’s plan. Russia, which had circulated a rival resolution, abstained along with China from voting altogether. The resolution endorses US President Donald Trump’s 20-point ceasefire plan, which calls for a yet-to-be-established Board of Peace as a transitional authority that Trump would head. It also authorizes the stabilization force and gives it a wide mandate, including overseeing borders, providing security and demilitarizing the territory. Authorization for the board and force expire at the end of 2027.
The vote was a crucial next step for the fragile ceasefire persisting in Gaza and efforts to outline the territory’s future, following two years of Israel’s war in which over 69,000 Palestinians have been killed. Arab and other Muslim countries that expressed interest in providing troops for an international force had signaled that Security Council authorization was essential for their participation.
