The U.N. Security Council on Monday adopted a U.S.-backed resolution to end the Gaza war and deploy an international stabilization force after Ambassador Mike Waltz urged members to support what he called “a bold, pragmatic blueprint” born from President Donald Trump’s 20-point peace plan.
In an address to the council, Waltz described Gaza as “a hell on earth” after two years of conflict, saying the resolution offered the world a chance to replace “rubble where schools once stood” with “a path to peace.” The measure passed 14–0, with two abstentions — including Russia — and was adopted.
“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.”
The plan, developed through U.S.-led diplomacy with Qatar, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Turkey, Pakistan, and Indonesia, establishes a multinational stabilization force to secure Gaza, oversee demilitarization and protect civilians as Israel gradually withdraws.
U.S. Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz spoke at U.N. headquarters in New York after the Security Council adopted a U.S.-backed resolution to end the Gaza war and deploy an international stabilization force. (Spencer Platt/Getty Images)
Waltz said many of the peacekeepers will come from Muslim-majority nations, including Indonesia and Azerbaijan.
He credited Jared Kushner and special envoy Steve Witkoff with brokering the deal, which has already produced what he called “tangible results” — a holding ceasefire and the release of 45 hostages by Hamas. Waltz said the United States remains committed to ensuring the return of the remaining hostages still believed to be held in Gaza.
“This resolution charts a path for Palestinian self-determination after the Palestinian Authority completes key reforms,” Waltz said. “It dismantles Hamas’s grip and ensures Gaza rises free from terror’s shadow — prosperous and secure.”
An Israeli flag flies over damaged buildings in Gaza following the U.N. Security Council’s adoption of a U.S.-backed resolution aimed at ending the conflict and deploying an international stabilization force, on Monday. (Mostafa Alkharouf/Anadolu via Getty Images)
Following the vote, Waltz thanked Council members for what he called “a historic and constructive resolution” and praised the coalition of nations that supported Trump’s plan.
He said the Board of Peace, which will be led by the president, “remains the cornerstone of our effort” to rebuild Gaza and establish accountable local governance.
The board will coordinate humanitarian assistance, oversee reconstruction, and support a technocratic Palestinian committee responsible for day-to-day administration while the Palestinian Authority implements its reforms. Waltz said the stabilization force will “dismantle terrorist infrastructure, decommission weapons, and maintain the safety of Palestinian civilians.”
“The path to prosperity requires security first,” Waltz said. “Security is the oxygen that governance and development need to live and thrive.”
A view of the United Nations Headquarters building in New York City, United States on July 16, 2024. (Jakub Porzycki/NurPhoto via Getty Images)
Russia abstained from the vote after circulating a rival draft. Waltz said hesitation and delay would only “cost lives,” adding that “every day without this force, aid trucks lie idle, children starve, and extremists regroup.”
Trump praised the U.N. Security Council’s passage of the Gaza peace resolution Monday, calling it “one of the biggest approvals in the history of the United Nations.”
In a post on Truth Social, Trump congratulated world leaders and said the creation of the Board of Peace, which he will chair, represents “a moment of true historic proportion.”
Trump said the board will include “the most powerful and respected leaders throughout the world” and pledged to announce additional members in the coming weeks. He thanked both Security Council members and partner nations — including Qatar, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Indonesia, Turkey, and Jordan — for backing the plan.
“This will go down as one of the biggest approvals in the history of the United Nations,” Trump wrote. “It will lead to further peace all over the world and is a moment of true historic proportion.”
Trump’s message echoed the themes laid out by Waltz, who credited the president’s leadership and diplomacy for uniting regional powers behind the peace initiative.
“President Trump’s historic 20-point plan marks the beginning of a strong, stable, and prosperous region,” Waltz said. “Under President Trump’s bold leadership, the United States will continue to deliver results alongside our partners to make lasting peace a reality.”
U.S. Rep. Ilhan Omar (D-MN) recently found herself at the center of a controversy after she shared a misleading post calling for the abolition of U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE).
The congresswoman, a frequent critic of the agency, cited a report that was later retracted by NBC News. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) was quick to fact-check Omar’s claims and clear up the confusion, revealing that the original reporting was inaccurate and, in fact, mischaracterized the actions of ICE agents.
The incident began when Omar referenced a story titled, “Video shows ICE with 5-year-old girl while agents attempt to arrest her father.” The story had been originally published by NBC News, but it was later removed after the outlet quietly issued a retraction.
Omar posted her opinion on X (formerly Twitter), writing: “This is vile and beyond cruel. Abolish ICE.” She appeared to be referring to a video in which ICE agents were allegedly shown interacting with a young girl while attempting to arrest her father.
However, what Omar and many others failed to realize was that the story was based on a now-deleted NBC News report that was inaccurate. The story painted a sympathetic picture of the father and suggested that ICE agents had used the young girl as “bait” in an attempt to arrest her father.
The video footage was reportedly obtained by Telemundo Nueva Inglaterra and depicted an emotionally charged moment. The child’s mother claimed that her daughter, who is autistic, had been left alone with ICE agents while her father attempted to flee the scene of his arrest.
According to NBC News, the child’s mother told them that her husband, the father of the child, had called her to say that he was being followed by authorities.
She claimed that he managed to run back to the parking lot of their residence, leaving his 5-year-old daughter in the car with the agents. In the video, the mother is heard telling ICE agents, “They took my daughter, she’s 5 years old. She has autism spectrum. Give me my daughter back.”
This scene quickly became a focal point for criticism, with Omar seizing on the moment to call for ICE to be abolished. She described the actions of ICE as “vile and beyond cruel,” characterizing them as part of a larger pattern of abuse.
However, as more details emerged, it became clear that the initial reporting from NBC News was severely flawed, and DHS immediately stepped in to correct the record.
DHS Assistant Secretary for Public Affairs, Tricia McLaughlin, took to X to set the record straight. She called out the inaccurate reporting and criticized Omar’s reaction. McLaughlin wrote, “This is a vile lie. [Ilhan Omar’s] habitual lies and demonization of our law enforcement is what’s cruel.”
She continued, “ICE agents NEVER used a 5-year-old girl as ‘bait.’ The criminal illegal alien target — with previous arrests for domestic abuse and strangulation, among other charges — ABANDONED his own child in a car.”
McLaughlin went on to provide further context, revealing that the father, identified as Edwards Hip Mejia, had a history of criminal activity. According to DHS, Mejia ignored law enforcement emergency lights, drove back to his house, and fled from the car, giving officers the “double middle finger” before running inside his home.
He abandoned his 5-year-old daughter in the vehicle. McLaughlin emphasized that ICE agents were not responsible for placing the child in danger. Rather, they acted to rescue the child and immediately notified local police about the abandonment.
The girl’s father, a Guatemalan national, had been living in the U.S. for about 25 years. After abandoning his child, Mejia was eventually detained by ICE two days later.
He is currently being held at an ICE detention center in Plymouth, Massachusetts, as he awaits further legal proceedings. His wife, who asked to remain anonymous, confirmed the details of the situation in an interview with NBC Boston.
NBC News, after facing backlash for its original coverage, issued a retraction at the bottom of its article. The correction read: “An earlier version of this article mischaracterized the activities of ICE agents in the video.The article has been updated.” This retraction, however, did little to quell the controversy. By then, Omar’s post had already gone viral, with many of her followers sharing her outrage over the situation without knowing the full context.
The department’s intervention highlights the ongoing battle over immigration policy in the U.S., particularly the heated debate surrounding ICE’s role in enforcing immigration laws.
Omar, a vocal critic of ICE, has long advocated for the agency’s abolition, arguing that it is responsible for numerous human rights violations. However, this incident raises questions about the reliability of information that she, along with other critics of ICE, uses to make her case.
The fallout from this incident has exposed a larger issue regarding the spread of misinformation and the consequences of amplifying unverified claims.
In an age of social media, where posts can go viral in a matter of minutes, it is increasingly important to ensure that the facts are thoroughly vetted before making public statements that can influence public opinion.
Omar’s swift move to call for the abolition of ICE based on an inaccurate and retracted report demonstrates the power of unchecked political rhetoric in shaping public discourse.
Her condemnation of ICE was swift and unequivocal, but the facts didn’t support her claims. The video that she referenced had been taken down, and the story itself had been corrected, but by then, the narrative had already taken root among her supporters.
While critics of ICE have legitimate concerns about the agency’s practices, the use of misleading or incomplete information to advance an agenda only undermines those concerns.
If Omar and others on the far-left truly want to have an honest conversation about immigration reform, they must first prioritize accuracy over sensationalism.
Only by doing so can we hope to move forward with meaningful dialogue and solutions that address the very real issues facing immigrants and their families.
This episode also highlights the broader challenges that come with the growing distrust in the media. The fact that NBC News had to retract its story serves as a reminder of the importance of responsible journalism in shaping public opinion.
The initial error by NBC News, coupled with Omar’s hastily made post, underscores how misinformation can quickly spiral out of control and become entrenched in the political discourse.
It’s clear that the debate over ICE and immigration policy is far from over, but as we move forward, it is crucial that all parties involved rely on facts and evidence to make their arguments.
Political leaders, journalists, and social media influencers alike have a responsibility to ensure that their statements are grounded in truth, especially when dealing with issues that have such far-reaching consequences for individuals and communities.
In the case of Ilhan Omar’s call to abolish ICE, it’s evident that her post was based on misinformation. The fact-checking by DHS was necessary to clear up the confusion, but the damage had already been done.
For those who follow her rhetoric, the narrative that ICE is cruel and inhumane had already been cemented. In order to foster meaningful progress on immigration reform, it’s essential that we confront these issues with a commitment to truth and integrity, not with politically charged rhetoric that only serves to divide us further.
In the end, the need for reform in the immigration system is undeniable. But the path forward must be one based on facts, empathy, and a shared commitment to justice for all, regardless of their immigration status.