Follow the Law, not the Plan: Legal Considerations for Third States in Gaza

(Elvina Pothelet – Just Security) On May 21, the United Nations Security Council convened its monthly briefing on the situation in the Middle East, including the Palestinian question – and with it, the first “accountability moment” under Resolution 2803, adopted six months earlier. That Resolution had endorsed the 20-point plan for Gaza presented by US President Donald Trump (“Trump plan”), welcomed the establishment of the “Board of Peace” (BoP) as a transitional governance administration for Gaza, and authorized the deployment of an “International Stabilization Force” (ISF). Shortly before the Resolution was issued, the United States had established a Civil-Military Coordination Centre (CMCC) in Israel to “facilitate the flow of humanitarian, logistical, and security assistance” into Gaza. The CMCC, which operates as a joint Israeli–US structure, without Palestinian representation, has reportedly been involved in a much broader range of issues, spanning reconstruction, civil governance and lawmaking. At the May 21 meeting, the BoP submitted its inaugural six-month report to the Security Council and its High Representative for Gaza, Nickolay Mladenov, briefed United Nations member States on progress – and lack thereof. He acknowledged “near daily” ceasefire violations, and warned that the deteriorating status quo risks becoming permanent. Calling on the Security Council to press Hamas to disarm, he also urged Israel to honor its ceasefire commitments. With violence continuing in Iran, Lebanon, Israel, and elsewhere throughout the Middle East and international attention fragmenting, the meeting served as a sharp reminder that the humanitarian conditions in Gaza continue to worsen, and that the future of the occupied Palestinian territory, including Gaza, remains deeply uncertain. – Follow the Law, not the Plan: Legal Considerations for Third States in Gaza