WASHINGTON: US President Donald Trump on Tuesday thanked Pakistan and other members of the UN Security Council (UNSC) for approving his administration’s plan to steer Gaza towards long-term stability, calling the vote “one of the biggest approvals in the history of the United Nations”.
In a post on his Truth Social platform, President Trump also thanked China and Russia for not vetoing the US-drafted resolution, even though both abstained.
“Congratulations to the world on the incredible vote of the United Nations Security Council… acknowledging and endorsing the Board of Peace, which will be chaired by me,” he wrote, describing the move as “a moment of true historic proportion.”
The resolution, adopted on Monday evening in New York, lays out a multi-phase framework that includes establishing the Board of Peace and deploying an International Stabilization Force (ISF) to Gaza. The force is tasked with overseeing demilitarisation and supporting the transition toward an eventual independent Palestinian state.
President Trump also thanked states outside the Council that backed the initiative, naming Qatar, Egypt, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Turkiye and Jordan. He said the full membership of the Board of Peace would be announced “in the coming weeks,” though he has already mentioned former British prime minister Tony Blair — who originally proposed the concept — as a possible member.
The Trump administration’s 20-point proposal, agreed with Israel and regional partners last month, envisions the Board of Peace steering post-war Gaza toward political stability, reconstruction and statehood. It also authorizes the ISF to use “all necessary measures” — UN language that permits the use of military force — to secure border areas, support vetted Palestinian police units, and ensure the flow of humanitarian assistance.
As the stabilisation force expands control and restores order, Israeli forces will withdraw from Gaza “based on standards, milestones and timeframes linked to demilitarization,” according to the resolution. These benchmarks must be jointly agreed by the ISF, Israel, the United States and the guarantors of the ceasefire.
Pakistan, which voted in favour of the resolution, urged the international community to ensure that the measures outlined in the plan translate into tangible progress toward Palestinian statehood.
Speaking at the Council, Pakistan’s Permanent Representative, Ambassador Asim Iftikhar Ahmad, said the world must support a “credible and time-bound process” toward establishing a viable Palestinian state and insisted there must be “no annexation and no forced displacement.” He stressed that territorial contiguity between the West Bank and Gaza remained essential.
UN Secretary General António Guterres welcomed the Council’s decision, calling it “an important step in the consolidation of the ceasefire.” In a separate statement, he urged all parties to move “towards the second phase of the US plan,” which aims to launch a political process for achieving a two-state solution.
He said the United Nations was committed to fulfilling the responsibilities assigned to it under the resolution, including scaling up humanitarian operations to meet Gaza’s immense civilian needs.
Despite not blocking the measure, both Moscow and Beijing raised pointed objections.
Russia’s UN envoy, Vassily Nebenzia, said “key components” related to legal questions had been overlooked and warned that the ISF seemed empowered to act “absolutely autonomously, without any regard for the position or opinion of Ramallah.” He argued the resolution evoked “colonial practices” reminiscent of the British Mandate period, where Palestinian views were sidelined.
China’s envoy, Fu Cong, said the text was “lacking in many respects and deeply worrisome.” He criticised the governance arrangements outlined for post-war Gaza, saying “Palestine is barely visible in it” and that Palestinian sovereignty and ownership were “not fully reflected.”
Although Israel hailed Donald Trump’s Gaza peace plan after its endorsement by the UN Security Council, Hamas rejected the resolution because it fails to respect the “demands and rights” of the Palestinians.
“This resolution does not meet the level of our Palestinian people’s political and humanitarian demands and rights,” the group said in a statement.
The statement also decried the establishment of an international force whose “mission includes the disarmament” of Palestinian groups in Gaza.
“The resolution imposes an international trusteeship on the Gaza Strip, which our people, its forces, and its constituent groups reject,” the group said.
Israeli PM Benjamin Netanyahu’s office hailed Trump’s plan on Tuesday, saying it would lead to “peace and prosperity because it insists upon full demilitarisation, disarmament and the deradicalisation of Gaza”.
On X, Netanyahu’s office said the plan would also lead to an expansion of the Abraham Accords.
Published in Dawn, November 19th, 2025
