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SINGAPORE: The Singapore government on Tuesday (Nov 18) welcomed the <\/span>United Nations Security Council\u2019s endorsement<\/span> of a United States-drafted peace plan for Gaza.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The resolution, which includes the deployment of an international force and a path to a future Palestinian state, received 13 votes in its favour on Monday and no vetoes. China and Russia abstained.\u00a0<\/strong><\/span><\/p>\n The endorsement is a \u201csignificant step forward towards a lasting peace in Gaza\u201d, said a Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA) spokesperson on Tuesday.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cIt is critical that the current ceasefire be maintained by all parties, and to allow for the swift and unimpeded delivery of humanitarian aid into Gaza.\u201d\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n The Gaza Strip has been largely reduced to rubble after two years of fighting, sparked by militant group Hamas’ attack on Israel on Oct 7, 2023.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n A ceasefire came into effect on Oct 10 this year, but Gaza\u2019s future remained uncertain as key questions, such as its future governance and Hamas\u2019 disarmament, remained unresolved.<\/span><\/p>\n The latest text for the peace plan authorises the creation of an international force that would work with Israel and Egypt and newly-trained Palestinian police to help secure border areas and demilitarise the Gaza Strip.<\/span><\/p>\n It also allows the formation of a transitional governing body for Gaza, which US President Donald Trump has said he would chair, with a mandate running until the end of 2027.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n A possible future Palestinian state is also mentioned.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Once the Palestinian Authority has carried out requested reforms and the rebuilding of Gaza is underway, “the conditions may finally be in place for a credible pathway to Palestinian self-determination and statehood”, the text says.<\/span><\/p>\n This is an eventuality that Israel has rejected.<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cSingapore will contribute to international efforts for the reconstruction of Gaza upon a permanent ceasefire being secured,\u201d said the MFA spokesperson.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n They added that the country welcomed the US\u2019 proposal to establish a dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians to agree on a political horizon for peaceful and prosperous coexistence.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n \u201cWe support the right of the Palestinians to self-determination and their own state\u00a0as part of a negotiated two-state solution, consistent with relevant UN Security Council resolutions,\u201d the spokesperson said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n Singapore has delivered multiple tranches of aid to Gaza since the war broke out. In November, the Ministry of Health said it had <\/span>donated 100 sets of prosthetic limbs<\/span> to a Jordanian initiative that helps Palestinian amputees affected by the Gaza conflict.<\/span><\/p>\n<\/div>\n