UN adopts Gaza resolution, China abstains citing need for greater clarity

China abstained on Monday as the United Nations Security Council adopted a US-drafted resolution endorsing the establishment of an international stabilization force (ISF) in Gaza, saying the text "lacks clarity on key issues".

The 15-member Security Council adopted the resolution with 13 votes in favor, while Russia, which had proposed a rival draft, joined China in abstaining.

Speaking after the vote, China's permanent representative to the UN Fu Cong said the adopted draft remained "vague" on a number of crucial matters.

The resolution welcomes the establishment of a Board of Peace (BoP) as a "transitional administration" and an ISF, but offers no detailed explanation of "their structure, mandate or participation criteria", said Fu, adding that such information "is the necessary basis for serious Council discussion".

The resolution endorses a 20-point Comprehensive Plan for Gaza announced by United States President Donald Trump in September, while authorizing UN member states and the BoP to establish an ISF in Gaza. The US says the force will operate under a single command, with troops contributed by several unnamed countries.

Fu said the draft "fails to reflect the fundamental principle of 'the Palestinians governing Palestine'."

The draft's depiction of post-war governance in Gaza "lacked a clear Palestinian presence", Fu added, while noting that the text "does not explicitly reaffirm a firm commitment to the internationally recognized two-state solution".

While the draft assigns broad responsibilities to the BoP, "it provides only a written report every six months as oversight, with no additional review or supervision mechanisms," Fu said. "The United Nations has extensive experience in post-conflict recovery and reconstruction and should play an important role in Gaza's recovery. The draft provides no such arrangements."

While the draft assigns broad responsibilities to the BoP, "it provides only a written report every six months as oversight, with no additional review or supervision mechanisms," Fu said.

"The United Nations has extensive experience in post-conflict recovery and reconstruction and should play an important role in Gaza's recovery. The draft provides no such arrangements."

Fu said that the resolution "was not the product of full consultation among Council members", adding that the US pushed the Council to act less than two weeks after presenting the draft, even though serious concerns and major differences remained.

"We are disappointed by actions that disregard the views of Council members and undermine the unity of the Council," Fu said.

Fu said China abstained in consideration of Gaza's "fragile and urgent situation", the need to maintain the ceasefire, and the positions of both Palestine and regional states.

China's concerns, however, "remain unresolved," Fu said, calling on the Council to continue paying close attention to the situation in Gaza and the question of Palestine.

In a statement released by the official Palestinian news agency WAFA, the Palestinian Authority said it welcomed the adoption of the UN resolution and reiterated its "readiness to support implementation and assume its full responsibilities" in Gaza.

Hamas, however, criticized the resolution, saying it does not meet "the political and humanitarian demands and rights" of the Palestinian people, and warned that deploying an international force inside Gaza would compromise "its neutrality", the group said in a post on Telegram.

The resolution excludes Hamas from any governance role in Gaza.