Trump Launches ‘Board of Peace’ with Focus on Gaza Reconstruction

President Donald Trump convened world leaders and senior officials in Washington on Thursday to inaugurate the “Board of Peace,” a new international initiative initially focused on progress in Gaza but with ambitions to address global conflicts.

Approximately two dozen leaders and senior officials gathered for the inaugural meeting, with attendees including several of Trump’s authoritarian-leaning allies. Notably absent were the European democratic partners that have traditionally participated in US-led international initiatives.

The board emerged following ceasefire negotiations in October, brokered by the Trump administration in partnership with Qatar and Egypt, which halted two years of devastating warfare in Gaza. US officials say the plan has entered its second phase, now concentrating on disarming Hamas, the Palestinian militant group whose October 7, 2023, attack on Israel triggered the extensive military campaign.

According to Gaza’s health ministry, which operates under Hamas authorities, at least 601 Palestinians have been killed by Israeli forces since the truce began.

Gaza Reconstruction and Security Plans

During Thursday’s meeting, Trump is expected to announce pledges exceeding $5 billion for Gaza’s reconstruction, where the majority of buildings have been reduced to rubble. The president, a former property developer, has previously suggested developing resorts in the coastal territory.

The board will also address establishing an International Stabilization Force to ensure security in Gaza. Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation, has indicated readiness to contribute up to 8,000 troops if the force is confirmed. Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto is participating in the inaugural meeting after attending the board’s launch at the World Economic Forum in Davos last month.

US officials, including Trump’s negotiator Steve Witkoff, maintain that progress is being made and that Hamas is facing mounting pressure to disarm. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has called for sweeping restrictions, including the confiscation of personal rifles from Hamas fighters.

“The heavy weapon, the one that does the most damage, is called an AK-47. That’s the main weapon, and that has to go,” Netanyahu said recently. Israel’s foreign minister is representing the government at the meeting.

Jeremy Issacharoff, a strategic affairs expert at Israel’s Reichman University, acknowledged that disarming Hamas would not be a “simple task” but said a credible pathway would determine “whether this exercise can get off the ground.”

In a step toward new governance for Gaza, a technocratic committee headed by engineer and former official Ali Shaath was formed last month to manage day-to-day administration of the territory.

Hamas spokesman Hazem Qassem told AFP that the Board of Peace should compel Israel to “stop its violations in Gaza” and lift its long-standing siege of the territory.

Structure and Criticism

According to White House terms, Trump will wield veto power over the board and may remain its head even after leaving office. Countries seeking permanent membership rather than two-year terms would need to contribute $1 billion.

While US officials say Thursday’s meeting centers on Gaza, they have described the board’s mandate in broader terms, suggesting it could address other global conflicts.

Bruce Jones, a senior fellow at the Brookings Institution, characterized the initiative as “a confused mix of ambition and narcissism, unleavened by any effort at intellectual coherence.”

The launch coincides with Trump’s continued distancing from the United Nations, including funding reductions and withdrawal from key UN bodies.

International Participation

Attendees include ideological allies such as Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orban, facing a challenging reelection, and Argentine President Javier Milei. Pakistani Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif, seeking US support in regional tensions with India, is also participating.

However, traditional US allies including France and Canada are not represented. Japan, typically among Washington’s closest partners, has not decided whether to join the board and dispatched an envoy handling Gaza affairs instead.

Brazilian President Luiz Inácio Lula da Silva declined the invitation, stating the board should focus exclusively on Gaza and “include a seat for Palestine.” Lula previously described Trump’s initiative as “a new UN where only he is the owner.”