On the eve of a critical UN Security Council vote on a US-drafted resolution backing President Donald Trump's plan to halt the war in the Gaza Strip, political, military, and humanitarian pressures are intensifying. Israel continues to signal that it may resume large-scale military operations despite the ongoing ceasefire. Hazem Qassem, spokesperson for Hamas in Gaza, said any Security Council arrangement must guarantee that fighting will not resume and that Israeli forces withdraw from the territory. He stressed that a ceasefire must be internationally guaranteed and that Gaza's internal governance must remain free from foreign interference. Qassem added that, under the Palestinian factions' proposal, any peacekeeping force should prevent Israel from restarting hostilities while refraining from involvement in civilian life. The United States has spent weeks lobbying for approval of its resolution establishing a temporary international stabilization force in Gaza as part of a reconstruction framework running through 2027. The force would replace Israeli troops once deployed. According to Yedioth Ahronoth, the latest draft contains elements Israel views as "unfavourable," including references to a pathway toward a Palestinian state and limitations on Israel's ability to veto troop-contributing nations. Israel Hayom reported that the resolution is likely to pass on Monday, with Russia and China expected to abstain rather than veto. Documents obtained by The Guardian indicate that US planners envision dividing Gaza into long-term "green" and "red" zones. Foreign forces would initially deploy alongside Israeli troops in eastern Gaza, reinforcing Israel's current control line—known as the "yellow line"—while leaving heavily damaged areas designated as "red zones" for later phases of reconstruction. Meanwhile, the Palestinian presidency called on the international community, particularly the US and ceasefire guarantors, to pressure Israel to allow the entry of prefabricated shelters and tents as winter weather intensifies. It warned that worn-out tents offer no protection from heavy rain and that Israeli restrictions continue to block essential shelter materials. UNRWA Deputy Commissioner-General Natalie Boucly said Gaza is receiving less than half of the 500–600 daily aid trucks required. She noted that UNRWA has supplies ready for up to 6,000 trucks—including food, tents, and basic goods—stockpiled in Jordan and Egypt but unable to enter Gaza due to Israeli obstacles. Families, she said, are facing winter "without enough food, water, or medical supplies." The World Health Organization reported that more than 900 patients in Gaza have died due to delayed medical evacuation, with 16,500 others—including 4,000 children—still awaiting approval to leave for urgent treatment. Gaza's Health Ministry said the health system remains "catastrophic," citing ongoing Israeli restrictions on medicines and patient movement. Despite mounting international pressure, Israeli leaders have doubled down on their political stance. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu reiterated that Israel's opposition to a Palestinian state "has not changed," while pledging to continue disarming areas still under Hamas control. Finance Minister Bezalel Smotrich urged Netanyahu to take a "firm" position making clear that no Palestinian state would ever be accepted. On the military front, Israeli Chief of Staff Herzi Halevi said during a visit to Rafah that the army must be prepared to "transition quickly to a wide-scale offensive" and expand territorial control beyond the yellow line. He said Israel now exercises "operational control" over more than half of Gaza while avoiding direct administration of civilians. Defence Minister Yoav Gallant added that Israeli forces are eliminating tunnels through explosions and liquid cement, and said that a future US-led international force would be responsible for dismantling Hamas in "old Gaza," referring to areas beyond current Israeli control. Israel's public broadcaster reported that Tel Aviv is demanding a broad mandate for the stabilization force under Chapter VII of the UN Charter, enabling the use of force to protect civilians and disarm militant groups. Officials say the mandate will determine which countries can participate. Domestically, the Israeli government approved the formation of an independent commission to investigate the security failures surrounding the October 7 attacks, with a ministerial team assigned to define the inquiry's powers. Hamas said it had received via mediators an Israeli list of 1,468 detainees from Gaza, but accused Israel of concealing additional prisoners and withholding information about their locations. The group urged mediators to pressure Israel to release full details and guarantee detainees' rights. Humanitarian agencies warn that conditions in Gaza are rapidly deteriorating. The Civil Defence said only 15% of required aid has entered the territory and that no tents have been permitted in, even as winter storms batter fragile shelters. The Health Ministry reported that the death toll from the war has reached 69,483, with 170,706 wounded. In a separate development, Palestinian heritage officials said Israeli forces removed around 17,000 archaeological artefacts from Gaza City's historic Qasr Al-Basha museum during the war. Only 20 items have been recovered from the rubble, according to restoration supervisor Hamouda al-Dahdar, who accused Israel of systematically looting artefacts from the Mamluk, Ottoman, Byzantine, Roman, and prehistoric eras. As the Security Council prepares to vote, political calculations, military preparations, and an escalating humanitarian disaster are converging over Gaza's future. The US-led plan remains contested, Israel holds firm on core political red lines, and millions of Palestinians continue to face hunger, cold, and disease as winter sets in.
