Conduct a critical analysis of the prospects of resolution of the Palestinian conflict with special reference to the UN Security Council's recently approved U.S. drafted resolution for peace in Gaza. Can Pakistan play any role in this initiative?

Introduction

The Palestinian question is the oldest unresolved conflict on the UN agenda. The devastating war in Gaza that followed the attack of 7 October 2023 killed tens of thousands of Palestinians, most of them civilians, and created a humanitarian catastrophe. In late 2025, a US-brokered ceasefire and a Security Council resolution opened a new — though highly contested — path. Its prospects depend on whether it leads to Palestinian self-determination or merely manages the conflict.

Background

The creation of Israel in 1948 displaced hundreds of thousands of Palestinians (the Nakba). Israel occupied the West Bank, Gaza and East Jerusalem in 1967. Security Council Resolutions 242 (1967) and 338 (1973) called for withdrawal from occupied territories in exchange for peace. The Oslo Accords (1993) created the Palestinian Authority but final-status issues — borders, Jerusalem, refugees and settlements — were never resolved. Settlement expansion, the blockade of Gaza from 2007 and repeated wars eroded the two-state solution. In 2024 the International Court of Justice advised that Israel's occupation of Palestinian territory is unlawful.

The US plan and the ceasefire

In September 2025 the United States announced a comprehensive plan for Gaza, supported by several Arab and Muslim states, including Pakistan. A ceasefire took effect in October 2025, followed by exchanges of hostages and prisoners and a summit at Sharm el-Sheikh.

UNSC Resolution 2803

On 17 November 2025 the Security Council adopted Resolution 2803, drafted by the US, by 13 votes in favour, with Russia and China abstaining. It endorsed the comprehensive plan; welcomed a transitional governance body, the Board of Peace, to oversee Gaza's administration and reconstruction for a limited period; authorised an International Stabilization Force to work with Egypt, Israel and vetted Palestinian police to secure Gaza, demilitarise armed groups and protect humanitarian access; and referred to conditions under which a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood might be possible after reforms of the Palestinian Authority and progress in reconstruction.

Positive factors

The resolution helped consolidate a ceasefire that stopped mass killing; it has rare backing from the US, key Arab states and Muslim countries; it creates mechanisms for reconstruction and humanitarian access; and it mentions Palestinian statehood in a Security Council text endorsed by the US. Growing international recognition of Palestine — several Western states recognised it in 2025 — adds diplomatic momentum.

Obstacles and criticism

Critics argue that the plan places Gaza under international trusteeship without clear Palestinian ownership, and that statehood is vague and conditional. Hamas and other factions rejected disarmament under foreign oversight. Israeli leaders oppose a Palestinian state, settlements continue to expand in the West Bank, and Gaza and the West Bank remain politically divided. The plan's implementation depends on states willing to contribute troops, on reconstruction funding and on Israel's withdrawal. Past interim arrangements, from Oslo onward, became permanent without delivering statehood. Accountability for violations of international law is largely absent.

Can Pakistan play a role?

Yes, within limits. Pakistan, a non-permanent member of the Security Council in 2025–26, voted in favour of the resolution while stressing that the goal must be an independent Palestinian state on pre-1967 borders with al-Quds al-Sharif as its capital. Pakistan can: (i) work through the OIC and with Saudi Arabia, Türkiye, Egypt, Qatar and Indonesia to keep Palestinian statehood central; (ii) consider contributing to the stabilisation force, drawing on its extensive UN peacekeeping experience, if the mandate is acceptable and has Palestinian consent; (iii) provide humanitarian and medical aid and training for Palestinian institutions; and (iv) use its UN platform to press for accountability and an end to settlement expansion. Pakistan does not recognise Israel, so it cannot mediate directly between the parties; its role is diplomatic, humanitarian and potentially peacekeeping.

Conclusion

Resolution 2803 has helped stop the war and created a framework for reconstruction, but it is a transitional arrangement, not a settlement. Lasting peace requires ending the occupation, establishing a viable and sovereign Palestinian state, and securing the safety of both peoples. Pakistan can contribute diplomatically, humanitarianly and through peacekeeping, while insisting that any initiative leads to genuine Palestinian self-determination.