Rubio Lauds Pakistan’s Backing for Trump’s Gaza Peace Plan, Warns “No Plan B” for Ceasefire

US Secretary of State Marco Rubio appreciated Pakistan Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif for supporting US President Donald Trump's peace plan for Gaza and for joining the Board of Peace, while reaffirming strategic cooperation on critical minerals development and counterterrorism during their meeting.

"Met today with Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif. Appreciate Pakistan's ongoing support of POTUS's Peace Plan for Gaza and for joining the Board of Peace. In our meeting, we discussed the importance of our strategic relationship on critical minerals development and counterterrorism," he said.

Rubio also issued a stark warning at the inaugural meeting of Trump's Board of Peace in Washington, declaring that "there is no plan B for Gaza" and that failure would mean a return to war.

Addressing leaders and senior officials from more than 45 nations, he sought to galvanize support for the fragile ceasefire and the reconstruction agenda for Gaza.

What is “Plan A” for Gaza peace and reconstruction outlined at the Board of Peace?

He outlined what he termed "Plan A" as "the only path forward" and said it aims to rebuild Gaza "in a way of enduring and sustainable peace, where everyone can live there, side by side with one another, and never worry again about returning to conflict, to war, to human suffering and to destruction."

His remarks come amid a US-backed ceasefire in place since October 10, which halted Israel's two-year military campaign that killed more than 72,000 Palestinians, mostly women and children, and injured over 171,000 since October 2023.

Despite the truce, Gaza's Health Ministry has reported hundreds of violations by Israel through shelling and gunfire, killing 611 Palestinians and injuring 1,630 since the agreement took effect, raising concerns over the durability of the peace effort.

The Board of Peace, established within the framework of efforts toward a peaceful settlement in Gaza and founded in January in Davos, has expanded its mandate to promote global peacemaking.

The inaugural meeting produced over $7 billion in pledges from Gulf nations and other states, with the United States committing $10 billion, as Rubio stressed that collective action and sustained commitment are essential to prevent a return to large-scale violence.

Why did Shehbaz Sharif praise Trump’s “mediation” in the India-Pakistan conflict?

During the same meeting, Shehbaz Sharif praised Trump for his "mediation" in the Pakistan-India conflict, calling him a "man of peace" and "saviour of the people of South Asia."

"Your timely and very effective intervention to achieve a ceasefire between India and Pakistan potentially averted the loss of millions of people's lives. You have truly proved to be a man of peace and let me say you are truly saviour of the people of South Asia," Shehbaz Sharif said.

Trump reiterated his claim that he saved millions of lives during the conflict between India and Pakistan in 2024, stating that he threatened to impose a "200 per cent tariff" and both countries halted the conflict as there is "nothing like money."

He also increased the number of jets he said were shot down during the conflict to 11, up from his earlier claims of eight.

"He (Pakistani PM) said in front of our Chief of Staff that President Trump saved 25 million lives when he stopped the war between us and India...That war was raging. Planes were being shot down. And I got on the phone with both of them, and I knew them a little bit. I knew Prime Minister Modi very well...I called them, and I said, listen, I'm not doing trade deals with you two guys if you don't settle this up," Trump said.

"And all of a sudden, we worked out a deal. I said, if you fight, I'm going to put 200 per cent tariffs on each of your countries. They both wanted to fight. But when it came to money, it's nothing like money. When it came to losing a lot of money, they said, I guess we don't want to fight...11 jets were shot down. Very expensive jets," he added.

Trump was referring to tensions following the Pahalgam terror attack in April 2024, in which 26 people were killed.

In response, India launched precise attacks on Pakistan's terrorist infrastructure under Operation Sindoor.

New Delhi has consistently refuted Trump's claims, maintaining that the ceasefire was achieved bilaterally through the Director Generals of Military Operations without any third-party mediation, and has reiterated its long-standing position that all issues with Pakistan, including those related to Jammu and Kashmir, must be resolved bilaterally.

(With inputs from ANI)