Netanyahu confronts coalition tensions as international pressure mounts for two-state solution framework
The UN Security Council will vote Monday on a United States-sponsored resolution establishing an international stabilization force (ISF) for Gaza, featuring a last-minute, cautiously worded reference to potential Palestinian statehood that was incorporated following demands from Arab nations.
A competing resolution from Russia and China has also been introduced, raising the prospect that either or both proposals could face vetoes from permanent Security Council members.
The stabilization force originates from Trump’s comprehensive 20-point Gaza blueprint, which envisions Hamas’s disarmament, Gaza’s demilitarization, reconstruction of the war-ravaged region, and governance by a technocratic Palestinian administration ultimately supervised by a U.S. president-led “board of peace.”
Under the proposed resolution, the force would operate with a two-year mandate, responsible for securing border regions, safeguarding civilians, protecting humanitarian supply routes, and facilitating “permanent decommissioning of weapons from non-state armed groups.”
The American proposal, supported broadly by Gulf nations, France, and Britain, underwent intensive negotiations. Saudi Arabia successfully pressed for language addressing future Palestinian statehood. The text states that once reforms are implemented and Gaza reconstruction progresses, “the conditions may finally be in place for a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood.”
While the Russian-Chinese alternative likely reflects Arab states’ actual preferences regarding a two-state arrangement, Gulf countries recognize they must back the U.S. version since Trump’s approval is essential for Israeli acceptance of the stabilization force.
Trump seeks Arab or Muslim nations to contribute troops, meaning the force’s mandate and Palestinian statehood prospects must be acceptable to these potential contributors.
The U.S. appears to have resisted Saudi demands that the stabilization force report to the UN rather than Trump’s proposed “board of peace.”
Saudi officials noted Trump’s support for UN action endorsing Palestinian statehood represents a significant shift, given his administration’s frequent bypassing or vetoing of UN initiatives throughout the Gaza conflict.
Netanyahu, confronting internal government criticism over the statehood language, told his Sunday cabinet meeting that while he needs no prompting to oppose Palestinian statehood, the provision was essential because “no country was eager to join the multinational force in the Gaza Strip.”
Saturday saw far-right ministers Itamar Ben-Gvir and Bezalel Smotrich urging Netanyahu to reject Palestinian statehood. Smotrich accused the prime minister of accepting “silence and diplomatic disgrace,” while Ben-Gvir threatened coalition withdrawal.
Although both ministers were largely mobilizing their bases ahead of upcoming elections, a far-right exodus could topple Netanyahu’s government before the October 2026 election deadline.
Defense Minister Israel Katz and Foreign Minister Gideon Saar issued Sunday statements on X opposing Palestinian statehood without naming Netanyahu directly. Saar declared, “Israel will not agree to the establishment of a Palestinian terror state in the heart of the Land of Israel.”
Netanyahu has consistently rejected Palestinian statehood, recently arguing it would reward Hamas and threaten Israeli security. He reiterated Sunday that Israel’s opposition “has not changed one bit.”
International pressure for Palestinian statehood intensified during the Gaza war. Last September, the UK, Australia, and Canada officially recognized a Palestinian state encompassing Gaza and the West Bank, where Palestinian-directed settler violence has escalated and Israeli officials have discussed annexation.
The American draft stipulates that Israeli forces would withdraw as the stabilization force establishes control. Withdrawal standards and benchmarks would require agreement among the U.S., Israel, the stabilization force, and other stakeholders.
The U.S. is reportedly planning Gaza’s division into a “green zone” under Israeli and international military oversight where reconstruction would begin, and a “red zone” remaining in ruins.
Nine nations—including Qatar, Egypt, Pakistan, Jordan, Turkey, Indonesia, and Saudi Arabia—issued a joint endorsement of the U.S. stabilization force proposal, representing likely troop contributors, though concerns about Trump’s plan persist among Muslim-majority countries.
The UAE and Jordan have indicated they cannot provide troops, while Israel has blocked Turkish participation, citing Turkey’s perceived ideological alignment with Hamas.
The respective responsibilities of the ISF—an external force—and a vetted Palestinian civilian police remain crucial, as the resolution assigns the ISF, not the police, the politically sensitive task of overseeing Hamas weapons dismantlement, which is prerequisite for Israeli withdrawal.
Israeli concerns exist that the U.S. may soften its insistence on complete Hamas disarmament, given the substantial difficulties in persuading or compelling the militant organization to surrender all weaponry.
