DayofPal—Donald Trump’s Board of Peace was convened Thursday for the first time in Washington DC, bringing together representatives to discuss the reconstruction of Gaza.
Over 60 leaders were invited to join the so-called Peace of Board with permanent membership requiring a $1bn contribution. Key allies were absent, and 24 countries have joined.
Trump’s speech at the meeting focused on his alleged perceived successes in Gaza and other wars, claiming “war in Gaza is over” despite repeated ceasefire violations.
He called the Board of Peace the “most consequential … in terms of power and in terms of prestige”.
Trump hosted the inaugural meeting of his so-called “Board of Peace”, at which countries promised $7bn for Gaza’s reconstruction, and six countries pledged troops for an eventual 20,000-strong International Stabilization Force.
The US has also pledged $10bn to the board’s efforts, with Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, Morocco, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan, Kuwait and the United Arab Emirates contributing around $7bn.
Troops comprising up to 12,000 police and 20,000 International Stabilization Force soldiers, will be allocated across five areas of the Gaza Strip and deploy to Rafah first, said General Jasper Jeffers.
World Bank Group President Ajay Banga said the bank will serve as the limited trustee of donor funds to “manage the donor contributions coming in”.
Indonesia pledged to send 8,000 or more troops to an international security force, and Kazakhstan said it will send unspecified number of troops, including medical units.
Morocco confirmed it will deploy police officers to Gaza, while the UAE: $1.2bn to the board’s mission. Saudi Arabia and Kuwait pledged $1bn.
However, Trump has been criticized for offering seats on the board to Israel’s war criminal Benjamin Netanyahu and Russia’s President Vladimir Putin, both leaders wanted for alleged war crimes by the International Criminal Court.
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