“Rockets to Olive Branches”: US Ambassador Sells Gaza Plan to Skeptical UN

US Ambassador Mike Waltz sold the new US-drafted Gaza plan to the UN Security Council on Monday with an optimistic pitch, promising a future “where rockets will give way to olive branches.” The resolution, which passed despite the skeptical abstentions of Russia and China, endorses President Donald Trump’s 20-point plan. It authorizes an “international stabilization force” (ISF) and a “Board of Peace,” which Waltz argued would “dismantle Hamas’ grip” and create a “prosperous and secure” Gaza.
Waltz’s “olive branch” metaphor refers to the resolution’s “possible pathway for Palestinian self-determination” and a new “political horizon.” This vision, however, was immediately challenged by nearly every other party. Russia and China abstained, with Russian Ambassador Vasily Nebenzya warning that the council was blessing a US plan with unknown “modalities” and no role for the UN.
The group holding the “rockets,” Hamas, rejected the plan outright. In a statement, Hamas called the resolution “international guardianship” and vowed it “will not disarm.” This defiance suggests that “rockets” are unlikely to be replaced by “olive branches” without a significant confrontation with the new ISF, which is mandated to decommission all weapons.
The plan’s “pathway to… statehood” has also caused friction. While it was welcomed by the Palestinian Authority—a move diplomats said was key to preventing a Russian veto—it was simultaneously rejected by Israel’s government. Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, under pressure from his right-wing coalition, publicly reiterated his opposition to a Palestinian state.
President Trump, who will chair the new “Board of Peace,” celebrated the vote as “historic.” However, with Hamas vowing resistance, Russia and China skeptical, and Israel’s government opposed to the political endgame, Waltz’s vision of “olive branches” faces a harsh and complicated reality.