Israel welcomes UN Gaza resolution; opposition blasts government

Israel welcomed on Tuesday the UN Security Council's adoption of a US-drafted resolution, while criticisms arose from the opposition.

"The State of Israel and PM (Premier Benjamin) Netanyahu applaud (US) President Donald Trump and his tireless and devoted team," a statement by the prime minister's office said through US social media company X.

"The United Nations Security Council fully endorses President Trump's 20 Point Plan and the appointment of the Board of Peace to be led by President Trump," the statement added.

It noted that Tel Aviv aspires that the resolution, "true to President Trump's vision, ... will lead to further integration of Israel and its neighbors as well as expansion of the Abraham Accords."

The UN Security Council adopted a US-drafted resolution on Monday by a majority vote, with 13 members in favor and Russia and China abstaining.

The resolution stipulates the formation of the Board of Peace and the authorization of the International Stabilization Force until Dec. 31, 2027, to oversee governance, reconstruction, and security efforts in the Gaza Strip.

Meanwhile, Avigdor Lieberman, leader of the right-wing Yisrael Beiteinu party, regarded the resolution as a "mismanagement by the Israeli government and a concession on Israel's security."

"We have lost control over the country. International forces in the sovereign territory of the State of Israel, a syndicate that has stripped us of our ability to defend ourselves and handcuffed all the hands of the IDF (Israeli army) —this is a return to the Mandate period," Lieberman said.

"The Middle East is changing, and not in our favor," he added.

The US draft came as part of an Israel-Hamas ceasefire and hostage swap agreement that took effect in the Gaza Strip on Oct. 10 based on a 20-point plan presented by Trump.

Phase one of the ceasefire deal includes the release of Israeli hostages in exchange for Palestinian prisoners. The plan also envisages the rebuilding of Gaza and the establishment of a new governing mechanism without the Palestinian group Hamas.

Since October 2023, nearly 69,500 Palestinians have been killed, mostly women and children, and over 170,700 others injured in Israel's genocidal war that reduced the enclave to rubble.