U.S. Gaza plan faces pushback from both Hamas and Israel

Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem told Al Jazeera that the U.S.-drafted UN Security Council resolution on Gaza “will not improve the situation” in the enclave and does not aim to stabilize conditions. He said Hamas would instead support a resolution that reinforces a ceasefire and allows for the deployment of international peacekeeping forces.

Qassem added that Hamas insists on a resolution that would stop “Israeli aggression” in Gaza, the West Bank and Jerusalem, and guarantee the Palestinian right to self-determination.

The UN Security Council is set to vote on the U.S. text on 17 November. The draft calls for international stabilization forces and a “secure and prosperous future for Palestinians in Gaza without Hamas.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Israel’s opposition to the creation of a Palestinian state “has not changed.” A recent U.S. amendment describing Gaza’s settlement as a “pathway to a Palestinian state” triggered criticism inside Israel’s ruling coalition.