President Donald Trump scored a major victory on Monday, when the UN Security Council voted in favor of his plan for peace in Gaza – which includes the deployment of an international force and a path to a future Palestinian state.
There were 13 votes in favor of the text, with only Russia and China abstaining – but no vetoes.
‘Congratulations to the World on the incredible Vote of the United Nations Security Council, just moments ago, acknowledging and endorsing the BOARD OF PEACE, which will be chaired by me and include the most powerful and respected leaders throughout the World,’ Trump wrote on his Truth Social platform following the vote.
‘This will go down as one of the biggest approvals in the History of the United Nations, will lead to further Peace all over the World and is a moment of true Historic proportion.’
The president added that ‘the members of the Board and many more exciting announcements will be made in the coming weeks.’
US ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz, also said that ‘today’s resolution represents another significant step that will enable Gaza to prosper and an environment that will allow Israel to live in security.’
The text, which was revised several times as a result of high-stakes negotiations, ‘endorses’ the US president’s plan, which allowed for a fragile ceasefire between Israel and Hamas to take hold on October 10 in the war-wracked Palestinian territory.
It was finally adopted Monday evening after Waltz pushed his colleagues to vote in favor of the measure, which he called a ‘bold, pragmatic blueprint’ for peace, Fox News reports.
The United Nations approved President Donald Trump’s plan for peace in the Middle East
There were 13 votes in favor of the text, with only Russia and China abstaining – but no vetoes
The Gaza Strip has been largely reduced to rubble after two years of fighting, sparked by Hamas’ s attack on Israel on October 7, 2023. A woman is pictured searching through the rubble of her home in Gaza City for clothes on Friday
He went on to describe Gaza as ‘a hell on Earth’ after two years of war, saying the resolution offered the world a chance to replace ‘rubble where schools once stood’ with a ‘path to peace.’
‘Voting “yes” today isn’t just endorsing a plan,’ Waltz said. ‘It’s affirming our shared humanity.
‘A vote against this resolution is a vote to return to war.’
Waltz also credited Jared Kushner and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff for brokering the historic deal, which he said has already produced ‘tangible results’ including a holding ceasefire and the release of 45 hostages by Hamas.
The US will now work to ensure the remaining hostages are returned to Israel, the UN ambassador noted.
He also argued that Trump’s plan ‘charts a path for Palestinian self-determination after the Palestinian Authority completes key reforms.
‘It dismantles Hamas’s grip and ensures Gaza rises free from terror’s shadow – prosperous and secure,’ he said.
Under Trump’s peace plan, an International Stabilization Force (ISF) would be created that would work with Israel and Egypt as well as newly-trained Palestinian police to help secure border areas and demilitarize the Gaza Strip.
US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz urged his colleagues to vote in favor of the measure
President Donald Trump celebrated the news on his Truth Social page
The ISF is mandated to work on the ‘permanent decommissioning of weapons from non-state armed groups,’ protecting civilians and securing humanitarian aid corridors.
Trump’s plan also authorizes the formation of a ‘Board of Peace,’ a transitional governing body for Gaza – which Trump would theoretically chair – with a mandate running until the end of 2027.
‘The path to prosperity requires security first,’ Waltz explained. ‘Security is the oxygen that governance and development need to live and thrive.’
The resolution even 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.
That eventuality has been firmly rejected by Israel.
Veto-wielding Russia circulated a competing draft, saying the US document does not go far enough towards backing the creation of a Palestinian state.
Moscow’s text, seen by AFP, asked the Council to express its ‘unwavering commitment to the vision of the two-state solution.’
It would not have authorized a Board of Peace or the deployment of an international force for the time being, instead asking UN Secretary-General Antonio Guterres to offer ‘options’ on those issues.
Waltz said ahead of the vote ‘delaying will cost lives.’
The US won the backing of several Arab and Muslim-majority nations, publishing a joint statement of support for the text signed by Qatar, Egypt, the United Arab Emirates, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Pakistan, Jordan, and Turkey.
This is a breaking news story and will be updated.
