Washington, Feb 20 (.) US President Donald Trump on Thursday inaugurated the Board of Peace, an international body, aimed at reconstructing Gaza after nearly two years of Israeli bombardment, and expressed his desire for China and Russia to join the board.
“A lot of countries are going through the process of getting on the board.I would love to have China and Russia on the board; they have been invited,” Trump said at the inaugural meeting in Washington, which brought together officials from nearly 50 countries. Twenty-seven of the countries are formal board members, while the rest, including the European Union, attended as observers.
Trump announced that nine board members had pledged a combined USD 7 billion for Gaza relief, with the United States contributing USD10 billion. “That number is a very small number when you look at that compared to the cost of war,” he said, calling the US pledge “a very small number.” It remains unclear where the $10 billion will come from or how it will be spent.
“The Board of Peace is going to almost be looking over the United Nations and making sure it runs properly,” Trump added, criticising the UN for not “living up to” its potential. The US, which is the largest contributor to the UN, owes about $4 billion, though a UN spokesperson said the United States repaid roughly $160 million last week. Ambassador Mike Waltz indicated that a further down payment would be coming soon.
At the meeting, Trump outlined plans for a stabilization force, with Morocco, Albania, Kosovo, and Kazakhstan committing troops and Egypt and Jordan providing training and support for a “trustworthy Palestinian police force.” Ali Shaath, chair of the Board-affiliated National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, said the board plans to “restore security via professional civilian police under one authority … including training and developing 5,000 Gazan police to be deployed in 60 days,” though the committee has yet to enter Gaza and currently operates from Cairo.
High Representative Nickolay Mladenov, the liaison with the Palestinian technocratic committee, emphasised that reconstruction “cannot begin” without full demilitarization of Gaza. Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar highlighted the need to dismantle Hamas’ weapons and infrastructure, while Hamas has not committed to disarmament and instead called for Israel to fully open crossings to allow reconstruction.
The board’s executive committee highlighted the economic and development potential of Gaza, even as much of the territory remains in ruins following nearly two years of Israeli bombardment.
Significant questions remain about how these ambitious plans will align with conditions on the ground. Repeated violations of Trump’s ceasefire and a fragile humanitarian situation underscore the challenges. Additionally, the critical issue of Hamas’ demilitarization has not been resolved, leaving uncertainty over when reconstruction and stabilization efforts can realistically begin.
“The Board of Peace is going to almost be looking over the United Nations and making sure it runs properly,” Trump said, adding that the UN has “tremendous potential.”
He also signaled broader ambitions, saying, “We’re also going to maybe take it a step further, where we see hot spots around the world, we can probably do that very easily.” While the UN Security Council resolution that authorized the Board of Peace focused on Gaza, the group’s founding charter asserts a mandate to address any potential global conflict.
Board executive committee member Marc Rowan, CEO of Apollo Global Management, highlighted Gaza’s economic potential, citing a coastline worth at least $50 billion and total value of $115 billion in the destroyed enclave that “just needs to be unlocked and financed,” CNN reported.
FIFA pledged over $75 million for sports projects, while Qatar, Saudi Arabia, and the UAE committed additional funds. Morocco’s foreign minister offered a “military field hospital” and a de-radicalization program, and Argentine President Javier Milei pledged support through Argentina’s White Helmets humanitarian corps, CNN reported.
Former US Middle East negotiator Aaron David Miller criticized the plan as “detached from reality,” given that demilitarization is not yet feasible. US officials acknowledged that the process will be long-term and dependent on dialogue with Hamas, with no fixed timeline.
A senior EU diplomat in Brussels said, “It is clear there are issues with the Board of Peace. But in the absence of another mechanism or international organization to shape the future of Gaza, there is no other choice.”
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