Hamas Returns Remains of Last American Hostage; US Proposes 'Stabilization Force' for Post-War Gaza

JERUSALEM, Israel – The Trump administration plans to submit a draft resolution to the U.N. Security Council for governing post-war Gaza. The draft comes as Hamas returned the body of the last remaining American in the hands of the terror group.

The remains of American-Israeli Staff Sgt. Itay Chen arrived in Israel on Tuesday night. Hamas captured Chen on October 7th, 2023, and his death was confirmed in March 2024.

Secretary of State Marco Rubio posted on X, "We honor his life, mourn his loss, and stand by his family." 

The release of Chen's body leaves seven hostages still in Hamas captivity.

The U.S. draft resolution for the U.N. Security Council signals a focus on the next phase of the Trump peace plan. The resolution proposes a force called the International Stabilization Force, or ISF. The U.K. expects to be part of the effort.

Hamish Falconer, U.K. Minister for the Middle East, stated, "Some of the provisions of the 20-point plan do include ISF, and we support that being underpinned by a Security Council mandate, including a Security Council resolution. There are, as you said, talks in New York, including with the UK Mission, and they will continue.”

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The resolution proposes that the ISF remain in Gaza for at least two years. A so-called Board of Peace would oversee the ISF, headed by President Trump. 

The force would be required to oversee the demilitarization of the Gaza Strip, "including the destruction and prevention of rebuilding the military, terror, and offensive infrastructure, as well as the permanent decommissioning of weapons from non-state armed groups."

"Non-state armed groups" means Hamas, Islamic Jihad, and other terrorist entities in the Gaza Strip.

The ISF will be required to work in close cooperation with Egypt and Israel. Some Arab countries reportedly object to the force being a "peace-enforcing" agent rather than a "peacekeeping" one, to avoid a direct confrontation with Hamas.

Since the ceasefire, Hamas has refused to disarm. Trump has warned that if Hamas does not disarm, it will be disarmed quickly – perhaps violently – and eliminated.