US President Donald Trump arrived in Washington to chair the inaugural meeting of his Board of Peace
By Sammy,
US President Donald Trump arrived in Washington to chair the inaugural meeting of his Board of Peace, a new international body drawing senior officials from over fifty countries. When he took to the podium he went largely off-script, welcoming leaders individually and declaring the gathering the most consequential assembly of its kind in history. He noted that some countries had chosen not to join, singled out Paraguayan President Santiago Peña as a "young, handsome guy," and drew laughter with a riff about his preference for women over men.
US President Donald Trump announced a $10 billion American contribution to Gaza's reconstruction and named Jared Kushner as his new peace envoy. He said the war in Gaza was essentially over, predicted Hamas would give up its weapons, and said he would make a decision within ten days on whether to pursue further action against Iran, stating that Tehran must choose between reaching a deal or facing a different path forward.
On reconstruction, Board of Peace Gaza Executive Board member Yakir Gabay outlined a master plan covering housing, hospitals, schools, ports, and a potential Mediterranean Riviera development along the coastline, contingent on full Hamas disarmament. Apollo Global Management Chief Executive Officer Marc Rowan detailed a phased housing plan starting with 100,000 homes for half a million residents in Rafah, expanding to 400,000 more homes across the Strip over time. World Bank President Ajay Banga announced a dedicated Gaza Reconstruction and Development Fund to manage contributions. Israeli technology entrepreneur Liran Tancman said Gaza's telecommunications network would be upgraded to high-speed access by July, alongside a new digital platform for payments, education, and healthcare.
The financial commitments at the meeting were substantial. Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed Abdulrahman Al Thani announced over a billion dollars from Doha, UAE Foreign Minister Abdullah Bin Zayed committed $1.2 billion on top of nearly $3 billion the Emirates had already contributed since the war began, and Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel al-Jubeir pledged a further billion over several years. US President Donald Trump said regional partners had collectively committed over $7 billion, with the UN separately raising $2 billion for humanitarian purposes and FIFA pledging $75 million for soccer-related projects in the Strip.
On security, International Stabilization Force Commander Major General Jasper Jeffers confirmed a force of 20,000 soldiers and 12,000 police, with Indonesia contributing 8,000 troops as the largest single contingent and taking on the deputy commander role. Morocco, Kazakhstan, Kosovo, and Albania also committed forces, while Egypt and Jordan agreed to train a new Palestinian police corps. National Committee for the Administration of Gaza Chief Commissioner Ali Shaath said 5,000 Gazan police officers would deploy within 60 days, with training to take place in Egypt, and noted that 2,000 applications had come in within hours of the job posting going live. Board of Peace High Representative Nickolay Mladenov said his office would coordinate between Israel and the Palestinian Authority on the transition of civilian governance, and confirmed that a weapons decommissioning framework had been approved, with implementation details to be negotiated with factions on the ground.
Several world leaders outlined additional contributions. Kazakhstani President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev offered scholarships for 500 Gazan students, Romanian President Nicușor Dan pledged medical care for 4,000 sick children and their families, and Moroccan Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita said his country would also lead a de-radicalization program. Egyptian Prime Minister Mostafa Madbouly welcomed US President Donald Trump's stated position against West Bank annexation and called for maintaining the institutional link between Gaza and the West Bank. Turkish Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan noted the humanitarian situation remained ongoing, offered troops to the International Stabilization Force, and expressed support for a two-state solution. Saudi Minister of State for Foreign Affairs Adel al-Jubeir also backed a two-state outcome in line with the 2002 Arab Peace Initiative.
Israeli Foreign Minister Gideon Sa'ar credited both US President Donald Trump and Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for the October ceasefire, honored Israel's 925 soldiers killed during the conflict, and said previous plans for Gaza had failed by not addressing terrorism and radicalization at their core. He said Israel supported the current framework and would work toward its success.
Organizers had placed Israeli Foreign Minister Sa'ar directly beside Qatari Prime Minister Mohammed Abdulrahman Al Thani for the opening group photo. As cameras flashed, US President Donald Trump chatted with the assembled leaders about the music playing in the background. The meeting ran nearly two and a half hours before White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt closed proceedings, announcing that member states had unanimously passed a resolution on financial transparency, with total pledges recorded at over $6.5 billion.
France said it was not consulted before the European Commission sent a representative to the meeting, with French Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Pascal Confavreux saying Paris would not participate until the Board's relationship to UN Security Council resolutions on Gaza was clarified. Norway said it would host a future gathering under the existing Ad-Hoc Liaison Committee framework but would not be joining the Board of Peace. Belarus, which had accepted a founding membership invitation and submitted visa applications for its delegation in advance, said the United States never issued the visas, leaving its officials unable to attend. The Belarusian Foreign Ministry said the situation raised serious questions about the credibility of an initiative that could not fulfill basic procedural requirements for a country it had itself invited.
Topics: Iran, Gaza, IDF
Reported by Sammy for Bernie News Network. See our editorial standards and corrections policy.