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Palestinian foreign minister says UN vote is 'first step towards peace'
Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on November 18, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 21, 2026
Global Banking and Finance Review
Company
Published by Global Banking and Finance Review
Posted on November 18, 2025
2 min readLast updated: January 21, 2026
Palestinian Foreign Minister hails UN vote as a crucial step towards peace in Gaza, endorsing Trump's plan and a multinational force.
MANILA (Reuters) -Palestinian Foreign Minister Varsen Aghabekian Shahin said on Tuesday the U.N. Security Council's adoption of a resolution endorsing U.S. President Donald Trump's plan to end the war in Gaza was a necessary first step on a long road toward peace.
The Security Council on Monday adopted the U.S.-drafted resolution, which also authorises a multinational security force to be deployed to Gaza and imposes an international guardian mechanism for the territory ravaged by two years of war.
"The U.N. resolution is the first step in a long road towards peace. That step was needed because we could not embark on anything else before we had a ceasefire," Shahin told reporters in Manila during a visit to the Philippines.
Shahin said there were still other issues that needed to be addressed, including Palestinian self-determination and eventual Palestinian independence, and that the process for implementing Trump's plan must be governed by international law.
She said that although Trump’s plan alludes to possible Palestinian statehood and only after the PA carries out reforms, that issue could be taken up later.
"As long as these elements are in there, we're happy with this first step," Shahin said.
The Ramallah-based Palestinian Authority earlier welcomed the vote and has said it is ready to take part in Trump's plan, which doesn't outline a clear role for the PA and makes vague references to statehood.
European and Arab states have said that Gaza must be governed by the Palestinian Authority and that there must be a clear pathway to Palestinian independence. The Israeli government, which opposes the idea of an independent Palestinian state, rejects any involvement by the Palestinian Authority.
Under the initial stage of Trump's plan, a ceasefire between Israel and Hamas came into effect on October 10. Both sides have accused each other of violating the truce, but it continues to hold. Hamas has since released most of the hostages from Gaza. The remains of three deceased hostages are still held.
(Reporting by Mikhail Flores, writing by Alexander Cornwell, Editing by Andrew Heavens)
International law consists of rules and principles that govern the relations and dealings of nations with each other, as well as the rights of individuals and organizations.
A multinational security force is a military or police force composed of personnel from multiple countries, often deployed to maintain peace and security in a specific area.
The U.N. Security Council is one of the six main organs of the United Nations, responsible for maintaining international peace and security, and can authorize military action or sanctions.
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