UN Gaza vote 'first step towards peace'

URGENT NEED TO IMPLEMENT RESOLUTION ON GROUND

- BY STEPHEN N.R.

Palestinian Foreign Minister Varsen Aghabekian Shahin said yesterday the UN Security Council’s adoption of a resolution endorsing US President Donald Trump’s plan to end the war in Gaza was a necessary first step on a long road toward peace.

Speaking during a visit to the Philippines, Shahin said Palestinians could not begin any political or reconstruction process “without first securing a ceasefire and international commitment to peace.”

She acknowledged that the framework leaves major issues unresolved — including full Palestinian self-determination and independence — but said those struggles would be taken up once the ceasefire and security track were firmly in place, according to a Reuters report.

Road ahead is long

“The road ahead is long, and there are elements that still need clarity,” she said. “But as long as the principles that lead to freedom and statehood remain within the plan, we welcome this first step. The next stages must be guided strictly by international law.”