Two years ago, we argued that the international community was overlooking one of the only workable options for Gaza’s post-war governance: a UN-led transitional administration. Today, that idea is essentially the US’s proposal before the UN Security Council.

The draft resolution, now circulating in New York, calls for a two-year International Stabilisation Force under UN mandate to administer and stabilise the security environment in Gaza while reinforcing the fragile ceasefire. It envisions co-operation with regional states, demilitarisation of non-state armed groups and an interim governance structure – a so-called “Board of Peace” – supported by the UN.

Our earlier warnings about the risks of such a proposal are even more acute given the recent reports that the US proposal would also see a division of Gaza into two zones, one of which would retain Israeli forces on the ground. Any international presence in Gaza must be legitimate in the eyes of Gazans, providing meaningful Palestinian participation in governance from the outset. It should have a clearly defined role for regional actors, giving them a stake in the successful transformation of Gaza from an occupied warzone to a self-administered territory. And the Security Council mandate should be unambiguously temporary, with a viable pathway for exit and phased transition to full Palestinian rule.

The US plan proposes a new interim governing body for Gaza rather than a return to direct Palestinian rule.