The United States on Thursday called on the UN Security Council to unite and back its draft resolution aimed at bolstering President Donald Trump's peace plan for Gaza, warning that Palestinians could otherwise suffer "grave" consequences.

"The ceasefire is fragile and we urge the Council to unite and move forward to secure the peace that is desperately needed," a spokesperson for the U.S. mission to the UN said in a statement, calling it a "historic moment to pave a path towards enduring peace in the Middle East."

Since the first-phase ceasefire took effect in October, there has been some progress in areas such as Hamas handing over the remains of detainees and Israel suspending large-scale military operations.

Israel received on Thursday night the remains of another hostage through the Red Cross in the Gaza Strip, the Israeli prime minister's office said in a statement. Before the latest transfer, Hamas had returned the remains of 24 hostages to Israel under the current ceasefire. Hamas still holds three more bodies in Gaza that are required to be returned to Israel.

Fragile ceasefire

However, the ceasefire remains fragile. Frictions between Hamas and Israel have continued, with both sides accusing each other of violating the agreement.

Analysts note that the first phase of the ceasefire involves only temporary arrangements, while the second phase will touch on long-term structural contradictions between the two sides – including the disarmament of Hamas and the withdrawal of Israeli forces from Gaza. The outlook for peace in Gaza remains far from optimistic.

Last week, U.S. officials launched negotiations within the Council on a draft that would follow up on a ceasefire in the two-year conflicts between Israel and Hamas and endorse Trump's plan.

The draft seen by AFP "welcomes the establishment of the Board of Peace," a transitional governing body for Gaza, with a mandate running until the end of 2027. It would authorize member states to form a "temporary International Stabilization Force (ISF)" that would work with Israel and Egypt and newly trained Palestinian police to help secure border areas and demilitarize the Gaza Strip.

The ISF also would work on the "permanent decommissioning of weapons from non-state armed groups," protecting civilians and securing humanitarian aid corridors.

A new draft

Unlike previous drafts, the latest mentions a possible future Palestinian state.

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 draft says.

"The United States will establish a dialogue between Israel and the Palestinians to agree on a political horizon for peaceful and prosperous coexistence," it adds.

U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio said on Wednesday he was optimistic that the resolution would be adopted.

"I think we're making good progress on the language of the resolution and hopefully we'll have action on it very soon," he told reporters in Canada.

But while it seems that Council members support the creation of a Board of Peace in principle, diplomats said that questions have been raised about the draft.

Those issues include the lack of any mention in the text of a mechanism for oversight from the Security Council, a future role for the Palestinian Authority and details about the ISF's mandate.

(With input from agencies)