The Trump administration worked carefully to make sure that a UN Security Council resolution would move forward on Gaza. The White House had spent most of the year trying to achieve a ceasefire. When things began to align in July and August, the administration still found itself frustrated in getting the proverbial ball to the end zone.
The US couldn’t always get Israel on board for a deal or get key Muslim countries to line up on pressuring Hamas. All this eventually came together in late September. On October 8, a deal was done in Sinai.
The ceasefire began on October 13. However, though US President Donald Trump’s plan for Gaza had seen initial success in the ceasefire, it still had to be cemented in place. The administration had shared aspects of this plan during the United Nations General Assembly in September. However, sharing a plan is different from working with the contentious UN Security Council to actually make it happen.
Once the ceasefire held, the US moved fast to cement the Gaza stabilization plan. US Central Command was tasked with creating a coordination center in Israel, dubbed the CMCC, which was created on October 17. US envoys Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff came to Israel, as did Vice President JD Vance and Secretary of State Marco Rubio – and then Kushner again over the first month of the ceasefire.
Waltz at UN: US influence delivers on Trump's Gaza plan
The heavy lifting took place back in the United States, with the various countries that are on the Security Council. US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz brought together the key countries on November 6.
“Today, Ambassador Michael Waltz, Representative of the United States to the United Nations, convened the elected members (E10) of the UN Security Council – representatives of Algeria, Denmark, Greece, Guyana, Pakistan, Panama, the Republic of Korea, Sierra Leone, Slovenia, and Somalia. Notably, the United States also welcomed Egypt, Qatar, the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and the United Arab Emirates to the meeting, demonstrating regional support for the resolution to the UN Security Council on Gaza,” his office noted.
“The resolution welcomes the Board of Peace and authorizes the International Stabilization Force outlined in President Trump’s 20-point Gaza peace plan. This includes continued humanitarian aid and the release of all hostages – paving the way for a safer and more prosperous Gaza.”
To get to the end zone at the UN would be hard. Russia sought to put forward its own resolution on November 13.
On November 15, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu spoke with Russian President Vladimir Putin. It’s not clear whether the discussion touched on the upcoming UN vote, if it was about Russia’s role in Syria, or both. However, what is clear is that Moscow stepped back from interfering with the US push for a resolution and abstained in the UN Security Council on November 17, enabling the resolution to pass.
The US mission to the UN thanked friends and allies as the resolution moved forward on November 14. “The United States thanks Qatar, Egypt, the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Indonesia, Pakistan, Jordan, and Turkey for backing our Security Council resolution on Gaza that advances President Trump’s historic 20-point Comprehensive Plan to End the Gaza Conflict.”
Ambassador Waltz also wrote on November 14, “President Trump delivered what many said was impossible: hostages freed, lifesaving aid surging into Gaza, and a credible plan to replace chaos with a future Palestinians can shape for themselves – not Hamas. His plan ensures Israel’s security and offers real hope for finally achieving peace in the region.”
Waltz added, “We urge the UN Security Council to back the President’s bold, historic 20-point plan, which already enjoys broad regional and international support, by endorsing our Gaza resolution.”
Days later, the resolution passed, and Trump congratulated “the world” for the success. He also thanked the countries on the Security Council. This shows a new Trump approach that has developed over the past year as the Trump doctrine matures. This illustrates how the US is moving on from sometimes appearing to go it alone, or even be isolated, to using its influence on the world and in achieving goals.
Gaza is a major test. However, so far, the White House has shown that it can keep its eye on the ball.