US Presses UN to Back Trump’s Gaza Plan, Warns of “Grave Consequences” if Deal Falters

Washington is turning up the pressure at the United Nations, urging Security Council members to formally endorse its draft resolution backing President Donald Trump’s Gaza peace blueprint. The message is blunt: support the plan, or risk “grave, tangible, and entirely avoidable consequences” for Palestinians if the fragile ceasefire collapses.

That warning landed just as Russia dropped its own counter-proposal, challenging the scope and assumptions of Washington’s draft. According to a version seen by Reuters, Moscow’s text is pitched as a more balanced approach to securing a durable halt to hostilities.

A spokesperson for the US mission said on Thursday that “attempts to sow discord” around the American resolution would only deepen the suffering in Gaza should Israel resume its assault. Washington formally circulated the draft to the 15 council members last week.

The leaked text, viewed by AFP, outlines a bold redesign of Gaza’s governance. It would create a transitional body called the “Board of Peace,” led by Trump, with a mandate lasting until the end of 2027. Alongside it, the resolution envisions a “temporary International Stabilization Force (ISF),” tasked with disarming non-state armed groups, protecting civilians, and keeping humanitarian channels open.

The ISF would work with Israel, Egypt, and newly trained Palestinian police to secure border zones and oversee demilitarisation. While the force is expected to reach roughly 20,000 personnel, Trump has already ruled out sending US troops.

Negotiations on troop contributions are ongoing with Indonesia, the UAE, Egypt, Qatar, Turkiye, and Azerbaijan. But there is real hesitation: no state wants to risk direct clashes with Hamas.

There is also a political hook. For the first time in the latest drafts, the resolution gestures vaguely toward Palestinian statehood, saying “conditions may finally be in place for a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood” after reforms within the Palestinian Authority. It also promises new “dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians” to define a political horizon for coexistence.

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday he was “optimistic” the proposal would pass, pointing to “good progress” in language negotiations.

Yet many Security Council members remain uneasy. AFP reports consistent concerns over the absence of clear oversight for the Board of Peace, the ambiguous role of the Palestinian Authority, and the lack of detail on how the ISF would operate.

The diplomatic manoeuvring comes a month after Trump brokered a ceasefire that paused a two-year war in which Israeli forces killed at least 69,179 people in Gaza. The deal has enabled limited Israeli troop pullbacks, prisoner exchanges, and increased humanitarian aid — but violations are frequent. Israel has launched near-daily attacks despite the ceasefire, killing hundreds of Palestinians.

Against that backdrop, the US told the council that the ceasefire remains “fragile” and argued that unity behind Washington’s resolution is essential to “secure the peace that is desperately needed.”