SINGAPORE: The Singapore government on Tuesday (Nov 18) welcomed the United Nations Security Council’s endorsement of a United States-drafted peace plan for Gaza.
The resolution, which includes the deployment of an international force and a path to a future Palestinian state, received 13 votes in its favour on Monday and no vetoes. China and Russia abstained.
The endorsement is a “significant step forward towards a lasting peace in Gaza”, said a Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) spokesperson on Tuesday.
“It is critical that the current ceasefire be maintained by all parties, and to allow for the swift and unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza.”
The Gaza Strip has been largely reduced to rubble after two years of fighting, sparked by militant group Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct 7, 2023.
A ceasefire came into effect on Oct 10 this year, but Gaza’s future remained uncertain as key questions, such as its future governance and Hamas’ disarmament, remained unresolved.
The latest text for the peace plan authorises the creation of an international force that would work with Israel and Egypt and newly-trained Palestinian police to help secure border areas and demilitarise the Gaza Strip.
It also allows the formation of a transitional governing body for Gaza, which US President Donald Trump has said he would chair, with a mandate running until the end of 2027.
A possible future Palestinian state is also mentioned.
Once the Palestinian Authority has carried out requested reforms and the rebuilding of Gaza is underway, “the conditions may finally be in place for a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood”, the text says.
This is an eventuality that Israel has rejected.
“Singapore will contribute to international efforts for the reconstruction of Gaza upon a permanent ceasefire being secured,” said the MFA spokesperson.
They added that the country welcomed the US’ proposal to establish a dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians to agree on a political horizon for peaceful and prosperous coexistence.
“We support the right of the Palestinians to self-determination and their own state as part of a negotiated two-state solution, consistent with relevant UN Security Council resolutions,” the spokesperson said.
Singapore has delivered multiple tranches of aid to Gaza since the war broke out. In November, the Ministry of Health said it had donated 100 sets of prosthetic limbs to a Jordanian initiative that helps Palestinian amputees affected by the Gaza conflict.
