Rabat – US President Donald Trump thanked Morocco during his address to the 81st session of the UN General Assembly on Tuesday for its financial commitments tied to the reconstruction of Gaza.
Trump also conveyed his gratitude to Bahrain, Qatar, Kuwait, Kazakhstan, Saudi Arabia, Turkey, and Uzbekistan.
Speaking at the session on what he described as his “Board of Peace” initiative, Trump cited the eight countries’ billions of dollars’ contributions to help rebuild Gaza.
The Board of Peace had previously announced pledges totaling close to $17 billion for Gaza’s reconstruction, including $10 billion from the United States and nearly $7 billion from other nations. Officials say the process of converting those pledges into disbursed funds is ongoing.
In the same address, Trump thanked a group of countries for committing personnel to stabilize Gaza on the ground, including Morocco alongside Indonesia, Albania, Kosovo, and Kazakhstan.
Morocco’s role in the stabilization force
Morocco formally joined the International Stabilization Force (ISF) for Gaza on July 15, when it signed an operational agreement in Rabat. Foreign Affairs Minister Nasser Bourita attended the signing ceremony alongside Nickolay Mladenov, the Board of Peace’s high representative. According to information presented to the UN Security Council, Morocco became the first country to formally sign an agreement to participate in the mechanism.
Under its mandate, Morocco’s contribution includes senior military officers assigned to the force’s joint command, gendarmerie and police personnel, and a military field hospital deployed on the ground.
US Ambassador to the UN Mike Waltz has previously commended Morocco’s involvement in the Gaza effort, describing it as going beyond diplomatic gestures. He said Morocco and its people were “leaning in, in very meaningful ways for a more peaceful future,” adding that Rabat’s engagement amounted to more than simply signing agreements or attending ceremonies.
Rabat-Tel Aviv ties
Trump’s remarks came days after Morocco and Israel agreed to upgrade their bilateral relations, with both sides announcing plans to establish full embassies and exchange ambassadors. The decision, announced jointly by Morocco, Israel, and the United States on September 16, also provides for the resumption of direct flights between the two countries and for measures to boost investment and avoid double taxation.
The upgrade drew criticism from segments of Moroccan public opinion. Responding to that criticism, Bourita told Fox News that Morocco does not agree with Israel on every point and argued that maintaining a relationship with Israel allows Rabat to assist Palestinians on humanitarian grounds, pointing to Morocco’s contribution to stabilizing Gaza.
Bourita maintained that Morocco’s ties with Israel do not come at the expense of its longstanding support for the Palestinian cause. Rabat has repeatedly condemned Israeli attacks on Gaza, called for calm and dialogue, and continues to back a two-state solution that includes an independent Palestinian state with East Jerusalem as its capital. Morocco re-established relations with Israel in December 2020 under the US-brokered Abraham Accords and had suspended its flights to and from Israel following the genocidal war on Gaza.
Trump’s public acknowledgment at the UN General Assembly places Morocco among a small group of countries recognized for combining financial pledges with an active security and humanitarian presence in the Gaza stabilization effort.
