(From L to R) Egyptian Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty, Palestinian Vice President Hussein Al-Sheikh.
In a phone call on Saturday, the two officials stressed that the resolution should help end the Israeli war on Gaza and create a path toward a just and comprehensive peace, the Egyptian foreign ministry stated.
Their conversation comes two days before the UNSC is expected to vote on a US draft resolution endorsing President Donald Trump’s Gaza plan, which received backing at the Sharm El-Sheikh Summit for Peace in October.
The summit on 13 October—attended by more than 20 world leaders—resulted in a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas aimed at halting Israel’s genocidal war on the Gaza Strip and advancing efforts toward lasting peace.
Competing drafts
The US draft, circulated last week among the 15 council members, centres on Gaza’s post-war governance. According to AFP, it “welcomes the establishment of the Board of Peace,” a transitional governing authority Trump would theoretically chair until the end of 2027.
It also authorises member states to form a “temporary International Stabilization Force (ISF)” to secure Gaza’s border areas, and references the possibility of a future Palestinian state.
Russia has countered with its own draft resolution, openly challenging the Trump plan.
“The objective of our draft is to enable the Security Council to develop a balanced, acceptable, and unified approach toward achieving a sustainable cessation of hostilities,” Russia’s UN mission said in a note to council members.
The Russian text asked the UN Secretary-General to identify options for an International Stabilization Force (ISF) in Gaza, but omits Trump’s proposed Board of Peace. Unlike the US draft, which mandates the creation of an ISF for at least two years, Russia’s version only calls for examining “options” for its deployment.
Reports emerged that China and some Arab countries, including Algeria, are also opposed to the US draft resolution. Beijing has also joined Moscow in calling for the removal of the Board of Peace from the resolution.
Regional dynamics
On Friday, the US, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and several other Arab and Muslim-majority countries, including Qatar and Turkey, issued a joint statement urging the Security Council to adopt the US draft swiftly.
Abdelatty said the joint statement reflected a regional and international consensus to move forward with the plan launched at the Sharm El-Sheikh summit. The agreement, he said, lays out “a practical path for Palestinian self-determination and the establishment of a Palestinian state, thereby consolidating peace and stability across the region.”
He also discussed with Al-Sheikh preparations for the international conference on Gaza’s early recovery and reconstruction, scheduled for late November, stressing the need to mobilise wide support for effective implementation.
Both officials agreed to maintain close coordination in the coming period to safeguard Palestinian rights and push toward a just and lasting peace.
Ceasefire violations
Trump announced on 8 October that Israel and Hamas had agreed to the first phase of his Gaza plan, pausing Israel’s two-year genocidal war, which has killed at least 69,179 Palestinians, most of them women and children.
The first phase includes a captive exchange, a partial Israeli withdrawal and limited entry of humanitarian aid.
While the ceasefire technically remains in place, Israel has continued to violate the agreement with near-daily attacks that have killed hundreds of Palestinians.
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