The United States on Thursday called on the UN Security Council to unite and back its draft resolution aimed at bolstering President Donald Trump's peace plan for Gaza, warning that Palestinians could otherwise suffer "grave" consequences.
"Attempts to sow discord now -- when agreement on this resolution is under active negotiation -- has grave, tangible, and entirely avoidable consequences for Palestinians in Gaza," a spokesperson for the US mission to the UN said in a statement.
"The ceasefire is fragile and we urge the Council to unite and move forward to secure the peace that is desperately needed," the spokesperson said, calling it an "historic moment to pave a path towards enduring peace in the Middle East."
Last week, US officials launched negotiations within the Council on a draft that would follow up on a ceasefire in the two-year war between Israel and Hamas and endorse Trump's plan.
A third draft of the resolution seen Thursday by AFP "welcomes the establishment of the Board of Peace," a transitional governing body for Gaza -- that Trump would theoretically chair -- with a mandate running until the end of 2027.
It would authorize member states to form a "temporary International Stabilization Force (ISF)" that would work with Israel and Egypt and newly trained Palestinian police to help secure border areas and demilitarize the Gaza Strip.
The ISF also would work on the "permanent decommissioning of weapons from non-state armed groups," protecting civilians and securing humanitarian aid corridors.
Unlike previous drafts, the latest mentions a possible future Palestinian state.
Once the Palestinian Authority has carried out requested reforms and the rebuilding of Gaza is underway, "the conditions may finally be in place for a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood," the draft says.
"The United States will establish a dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians to agree on a political horizon for peaceful and prosperous coexistence," it adds.
US Secretary of State Marco Rubio said Wednesday he was optimistic that the resolution would be adopted.
"I think we're making good progress on the language of the resolution and hopefully we'll have action on it very soon," he told reporters in Canada.
But while it seems that Council members support the creation of a Board of Peace in principle, diplomats told AFP that questions have been raised about the draft.
Those issues include the lack of any mention in the text of a mechanism for oversight from the Security Council, a future role for the Palestinian Authority and details about the ISF's mandate.
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