Trump's Gaza Board of Peace Holds Inaugural Meeting as Director-General Visits Israel
Trump's Gaza Board of Peace holds its first meeting as Director-General Mladenov visits Israel to discuss Phase II of the ceasefire, amid IDF strikes. Indonesia plans to send troops, and dozens of countries have joined, pledging over $5 billion.
Donald Trump’s Gaza Board of Peace is meeting for the first time on Thursday, while its Director-General and High Representative for Gaza, Nickolay Mladenov, is set to arrive in Israel for meetings with senior Israeli officials, likely connected to the second phase of the Gaza ceasefire plan. The visit comes as Mladenov criticized renewed Israeli military operations in Gaza, saying they have killed civilians and destroyed medical supplies.
Mladenov noted that the Board’s current efforts are focused on disarming “Palestinian factions” in Gaza and implementing a civilian government. He stressed that both Israel and the Palestinian factions have obligations under the deal. “My team and I are working around the clock with the parties, the mediators and regional partners to de-escalate and create the space for the full implementation of the President’s plan,” Mladenov said.
The IDF announced over the weekend that it had killed two Hamas commanders in Gaza, and three militants from separate groups over the past week.
The Board of Peace was launched as part of Phase Two of Trump’s 20-point peace plan for Gaza. The U.N. Security Council endorsed the plan in November, a month after the Israel-Hamas cease-fire, with a mandate covering the board’s involvement through the end of 2027. Trump has extended invitations to dozens of countries to join, offering permanent membership to those paying a $1 billion fee within the first year; other leaders may serve three-year terms.
Trump has signaled a broader ambition for the board, potentially as an alternative to the United Nations after withdrawing the U.S. from several U.N. agencies. “We have the greatest leaders in the world joining the Board of Peace,” Trump told reporters. “I think it has the chance to be the most consequential board ever assembled of any kind.”
At least 27 countries have joined and will send representatives to the inaugural meeting. Italy, Greece, South Korea, and the European Union will attend as observers. Member states have pledged more than $5 billion toward humanitarian aid and reconstruction of Gaza, Trump said.
Indonesia announced it was preparing to send thousands of troops for a peacekeeping mission as part of the initiative. Among other countries that have accepted invitations are Albania, Argentina, Armenia, Azerbaijan, Bahrain, Belarus, Bulgaria, and others.
Trump has faced criticism for inviting Russian President Vladimir Putin and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, both of whom are subject to International Criminal Court arrest warrants. He also revoked Canada’s invitation after its prime minister denounced “American hegemony.”