Hamas says UN resolution on Gaza does not meet demands

Nov 19, 2025 News

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(AL-JAZEERA) Hamas says a UN Security Council resolution backing Trump’s Gaza plan fails to meet the political and humanitarian demands of Palestinians.

Earlier, the UNSC approved the US ceasefire plan for Gaza, which includes the deployment of an international stabilisation force to the Strip.

While the resolution does mention a possible future Palestinian state, it does so in a convoluted manner.

The text says that “conditions may finally be in place for a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood” once the Palestinian Authority has carried out a reform programme and Gaza’s redevelopment has advanced.

It also says that the US “will establish a dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians to agree on a political horizon for peaceful and prosperous coexistence”.

The reference to a future possibility of statehood for the Palestinians has proved controversial in Israel.

Benjamin Netanyahu, who is under pressure from right-wing members of his government, said on Sunday that Israel remained opposed to a Palestinian state and pledged to demilitarise Gaza “the easy way or the hard way”.

Al Jazeera spoke to Palestinians in Gaza City about the UN Security Council’s endorsement of Trump’s plan for the enclave.

“I completely reject this decision,” said Moamen Abdul-Malek. “Our people … are able to rule ourselves. We don’t need forces from Arab or foreign countries to rule us. We are the people of this country, and we will bear responsibility for it.”

Mohammed Hamdan said the plan, which would see the establishment and deployment of an international stabilisation force to demilitarise the territory, was not in the interests of Palestinians.

“It would strip the resistance of its weapons, despite the fact that resistance is a legitimate right of peoples under occupation.”

Sanaa Mahmoud Kaheel said Palestinians rejected the decision, which would bring uncertainty to Gaza.

“They initially said the Palestinian Authority would take control of the Gaza Strip, and we were enthusiastic about that. But things will be unclear with the international forces, and we do not know what might happen tomorrow or the day after tomorrow with them being in Gaza,” she said.

“This could help Trump tighten his grip on Gaza and work towards establishing a ‘riviera’ there, as he himself said before. Nothing is guaranteed.”

The UN-approved Gaza resolution’s lack of guarantee for an independent Palestinian state leaves “a good deal of cause for concern”, an analyst has warned.

Mohamad Elmasry, a professor at the Doha Institute for Graduate Studies, told Al Jazeera that no “meaningful path forward” towards Palestinian statehood had been established.

“They’re saying that if certain conditions are met, which are by no means a given, then there might be a path forward,” Elmasry said.

“Not only is there no mention of the international consensus, but there’s also no mention of the illegal Israeli occupation of Palestinian land. There’s no mention of the siege of Gaza or how you would begin to bring about a viable Palestinian state without addressing these root causes.”

Elmasry said it was “interesting” that he had not seen any Palestinian civil society organisation come out in support of the resolution. Al-Haq, the largest of them, had spoken out against it, he noted, adding that it “speaks volumes”.

The ceasefire plan backed by the UN Security Council is an important step towards long-term peace, the UN chief has said.

Antonio Guterres made the comment in a statement published by his spokesperson today, where he said: “It is essential now to translate the diplomatic momentum into concrete and urgently needed steps on the ground.”

After thanking countries including Egypt, Turkiye, Qatar and the US for their diplomatic efforts, Guterres stressed the importance of moving towards the second phase of the US ceasefire plan, “leading to a political process for the achievement of the two-state solution, in line with previous United Nations resolutions”.

Israel’s Benjamin Netanyahu welcomed the resolution as a victory for Trump and a victory for the Israeli government’s agenda that wants to see Gaza demilitarised.

Yair Lapid, who heads the opposition in the Knesset, sounded like he was on the right of Netanyahu. Several former and current US officials have said the resolution was drafted in a way that won’t make anybody completely happy.

Even the vague mention [of Palestinian statehood] in the text of the resolution has ignited a storm of debate in Israel.

Remember, this is the most right-wing government in Israel’s history. The Israeli Knesset had adopted a resolution saying that Israel stands committed to making sure no Palestinian state ever exists.

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• Benjamin Netanyahu, Gaza, Hamas, Israel, UN resolution

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