The Palestine Forum of New Zealand expresses deep concern
regarding the UN Security Council’s vote on the United
States–backed resolution endorsing President Trump’s
proposed “Gaza Plan.” While framed as a pathway toward
stability, the resolution in its current form poses
significant risks to Palestinian sovereignty,
self-determination, and long-term justice.
Despite
global recognition of the catastrophic humanitarian
situation in Gaza, this resolution fails to address core
political realities and instead reinforces structures that
have historically undermined Palestinian rights.
1.
Foreign Control Over Gaza’s Future
The proposed
international “stabilisation force” and the external
governance body, termed the “Board of Peace,”
effectively place Gaza under foreign administration. Such an
arrangement sidelines Palestinian leadership, weakens
national institutions, and risks entrenching a system where
Palestinians have limited control over their own land and
political destiny.
This approach repeats the mistakes
of past interventions that imposed solutions rather than
empowering the people most affected.
2. Forced
Demilitarisation Without Addressing Root Causes
The
resolution’s emphasis on “decommissioning weapons” and
destroying Palestinian resistance infrastructure ignores the
fundamental issue: Palestinians live under occupation and
systematic oppression. Attempting to enforce
demilitarisation without ending occupation or addressing
ongoing Israeli violations creates an imbalanced and unjust
framework.
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Such measures risk criminalising legitimate
resistance while offering no guarantees for Palestinian
security or protection.
3. Undermining Genuine
Self-Determination
Although the resolution mentions a
“pathway to Palestinian self-determination,” its
conditional and externally dictated nature raises serious
doubts. A true political solution must be built on free,
inclusive Palestinian participation—not imposed benchmarks
tied to foreign interests.
The language of statehood
in the resolution is symbolic at best and misleading at
worst, given that the mechanisms proposed actively limit
Palestinian political agency.
4. Exclusion of
Palestinian Voices
Key Palestinian political actors,
civil society organisations, and humanitarian bodies were
not consulted in crafting this plan. Palestinian
perspectives are central to any viable, just outcome, yet
the resolution treats the people of Gaza as passive
recipients rather than equal partners.
A plan that
excludes Palestinians from decision-making cannot produce
lasting peace or justice.
5. Political Motivations
and Regional Consequences
The plan has already
generated divisions among global powers and within Israel
itself. Becoming entangled in these political agendas risks
further destabilising Gaza and prolonging suffering. A
resolution built on geopolitical convenience instead of
international law and human rights cannot foster genuine
peace.
Our Position
The Palestine Forum of New
Zealand asserts that:
- Solutions for Gaza
must be grounded in international law, Palestinian
sovereignty, and the right to
self-determination. - Reconstruction
and governance must empower Palestinian institutions, not
bypass or replace them. - Security
arrangements must protect Palestinian civilians, not
entrench foreign control or
occupation. - A just peace can only
emerge through addressing root causes: occupation, blockade,
displacement, and systematic violations of Palestinian
rights.
We call on the New Zealand
Government, civil society, and international partners to
approach this resolution with caution, uphold principles of
justice, and ensure that any framework for Gaza respects the
dignity and rights of the Palestinian
people.
