In a momentous achievement for President Donald Trump, the United Nations Security Council on Monday endorsed his comprehensive 20-point peace initiative for Gaza. This plan, which may involve the deployment of troops to the conflict-ridden region, also outlines a roadmap for the creation of a future Palestinian state. Garnering support from 13 members of the council, the resolution saw only Russia and China abstaining, with no country exercising its veto. The agreement’s success follows intensive negotiations led by Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner and Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, who engaged with Egyptian, Hamas, and Qatari officials to lay the groundwork for peace.

Following the landmark vote, President Trump celebrated the decision on his Truth Social platform, heralding the resolution as a historic triumph for the United Nations. He expressed confidence that the vote would pave the way for global peace, calling it a significant moment in history. Trump also announced the formation of a “Board of Peace,” chaired by himself and comprising some of the world’s most esteemed leaders, with further details to be unveiled shortly.

U.S. Ambassador to the UN, Mike Waltz, echoed these sentiments, describing the resolution as a pivotal step toward prosperity in Gaza and security for Israel. The resolution, which underwent extensive revisions due to intense negotiations, supports the President’s peace initiative. This plan facilitated a tenuous ceasefire between Israel and Hamas, which took effect on October 10 in the embattled Palestinian enclave.

The US will now work to ensure the remaining hostages are returned to Israel, Waltz vowed. 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. 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. But Security Council member countries including France, Slovenia, Guyana, Pakistan and Somalia originally had issues with the resolution’s vague language on Palestinian statehood, The New York Times reports. They finally agreed to the measure after being pressured to vote in favor of it by a number of Arab and Muslim countries – including Egypt, Jordan, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates. Explaining their decision on Monday, those member countries said they endorsed the resolution to support the political momentum for a Palestinian state, prevent the resurgence of violence and allow humanitarian aid to the Gaza Strip.

Still, they reiterated that the territorial integrity of Gaza must remain intact and lasting peace must be rooted in a two-state solution. ‘Genuine peace in the Middle East cannot be achieved without justice – justice for the Palestinian people, who have waited for decades for the creation of their independent state,’ said Algeria’s ambassador to the UN, Amar Bendjama – the only Arab member on the Security Council. The UK government added that it ‘will continue to work with the US and all our partners to implement this resolution and to map a credible pathway to a just and lasting peace for Israelis and Palestinians alike, based on a two-state solution.

Yet Israeli officials have firmly objected to a new Palestinian country, with Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu on Sunday declaring ‘our opposition to a Palestinian state in any territory has not changed.’ The peace deal faces other hurdles as well, including how to confront the remaining Hamas terrorists in Gaza , which Israeli UN Ambassador Danny Dannon said is a critical part of the plan. ‘Just as we are determined to bring all the hostages home, we will demonstrate the same determination in ensuring that Hamas is disarmed,’ he said. ‘We will not stop or let up until Hamas no longer presents a threat to the State of Israel.’ However, the Arab and Muslim countries that are expected to send troops to the area – including Egypt, Turkey, Indonesia and the United Arab Emirates – have been wary about their soldiers engaging in armed clashes with Palestinian militants and that any further bloodshed may turn Arab public opinion against their involvement.

They even requested that the Trump administration get the resolution approved by the UN Security Council so that their troops would not be viewed as occupiers. But 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, first reported 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. But Waltz said ahead of the vote ‘delaying will cost lives,’ adding that ‘everyday without this force, aid trucks lie idle, children starve and extremists re-group.’ ‘President Trump’s historic 20-point plan marks the beginning of a strong, stable and prosperous region,’ the UN ambassador said. ‘Under President Trump’s bold leadership, the United States will continue to deliver results alongside our partners to make lasting peace a reality.’