On November 17, the United Nations Security Council (UNSC) voted in favour of UN Resolution 2803, for which Trump wrote the vague text. This now means the US has sole authority to oversee all operations in Gaza- civilian and military.

By voting for the UN Resolution 2803, they have agreed to normalise the occupation

According to Palestinian civil society groups, the Council has agreed to normalise the colonial occupation of Palestine. This has been imposed on Palestinians without their participation and, they say, against their will.

The Resolution pushed forward by the US and allies, will implement Trump’s  twenty-point plan unveiled in September. This plan is about foreign domination presented as international governance, and has been condemned by Palestinian civil society. According to the Palestinian NGO Network (PNGO), and the Palestinian Human Rights Organizations Council (PHROC), the resolution constitutes “a blatant violation of the inalienable right of the Palestinian people to self-determination”.

US threatened to continue the genocide in Gaza unless Resolution accepted by UN Security Council

These groups say the methods used to enforce compliance with the Resolution expose the coercive nature of this initiative. U.S. officials said the plan had to be accepted, otherwise they would “finish the job”. Under international law, any deal obtained under threats of force holds no legal validity, yet the Security Council approved it. This has given the Resolution legal legitimacy, although it is not rooted in any legal framework.

UN Resolution 2803 hands complete control of Gaza to the “Board of Peace” (BoP), headed by Trump. This has authority over Gaza’s governance, including finance, immigration, civil administration, and reconstruction. No oversight mechanism exists. Palestinian participation—if it occurs at all—is symbolic, and unable to alter the “foreign and imposed nature” of the BoP. Its creation is seen only as a new chapter of governing without consent.

PNGO, and PHROC warn of the likely collaboration between the BoP and the Gaza Humanitarian Foundation, a body already implicated in the ‘Israeli’ genocide in Gaza. They say:

It is clear to us that the BoP intends to coordinate its occupation of Gaza with Israel, signaling continuing violations of the laws of occupation.

Mandate of the ‘International Stabilisation Force’—illegal under international law

A US led International Stabilization Force (ISF) will also be deployed into Gaza. This will work in “close consultation and cooperation” with the Israeli occupation and Egypt, and is a foreign military force tasked with, among other things, disarming the resistance. But its mandate has no basis in international law, as there is a legal right to resist occupation and colonial domination. PNGO and PHROC argue that the presence of the ISF reflects a serious failure of the UN Security Council’s mandate to maintain peace. Instead of protecting Palestinian rights, the UN is institutionalising a new occupation regime, and providing legal cover for it. Resolution 2803 also permits ‘Israel’ to maintain a “security perimeter until Gaza is properly secure from any resurgent terror threat”. This further enables and normalises control and annexation.

The UN Resolution 2803 excludes any reference to accountability, and does not even acknowledge the decades of documented ‘Israeli’ human rights abuses and war crimes. Its adoption, they argue:

signals the UNSC’s shameful abandonment of the UN’s historic responsibility towards the Palestinian people.

Nothing in the Resolution to benefit Palestinians

By placing Gaza’s reconstruction in the hands of foreign contractors and “donors”, the resolution also sidelines Palestinians from rebuilding their own society, and undermines sovereignty and development. They warn this will threaten economic self-determination and will also open the door to the exploitation of natural resources, including the energy reserves off the coast, in Palestinian waters.

This Resolution also contradicts key decisions of the International Court of Justice (ICJ). In October 2025, the ICJ reaffirmed Israel’s obligation to allow unhindered humanitarian aid into Gaza through UN agencies such as UNRWA. But under the Resolution, the BoP controls aid distribution, and foreign forces set the conditions on how aid is delivered. Without guarantees for sufficient aid, Palestinian groups say, the resolution enables continued collective punishment through the weaponisation of food, water, medicine, and shelter.

‘Catastrophic failure’ by UN Security Council

PNGO and PHROC stress that the right to self-determination overrides any contradictory Security Council decision. In response to the “catastrophic failure” by the Security Council, they are calling for third states to reject the implementation of UN Resolution 2803. Instead, they must take meaningful action, which does not violate international law.

Palestinians are demanding a path focused on Palestinian rights. This includes ending settler-colonial apartheid and stopping Israel’s unlawful occupation and annexation. They want accountability for past and ongoing crimes. They also call for a UN oversight mechanism for reconstruction that respects Palestinian consent. Additionally, they urge diplomatic, military, and economic sanctions on the Israeli regime, including embargoes on arms and energy.

Palestinian self determination is a non-negotiable right

Palestinian civil society demands the international community no longer sidesteps its responsibilities, by empowering those who uphold the occupation. The right to self-determination is a binding obligation under international law. It is a non-negotiable right, essential for Palestinians to assert control over their land and determine their own political future. Countries must uphold their legal and moral obligations. They must not maintain ‘Israel’s’ illegal occupation, and must act to prevent and stop its genocide in Gaza. The world’s actions will not only determine Gaza’s future, but also the legitimacy of the global legal system.

Featured image via the Canary

By Charlie Jaay

This post was originally published on Canary.