WASHINGTON: The White House is set to host the first leaders’ meeting of President Donald Trump’s newly formed “Board of Peace” focused on Gaza on February 19, according to Axios. The meeting, still in its early planning stages, may also serve as a fundraising event for Gaza’s reconstruction.
The event will take place at the US Institute of Peace in Washington. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to meet Trump at the White House a day earlier, on February 18. Officials from four countries that are part of the board have been involved in planning, though the details are still subject to change.
Trump launched the board in late January, presenting it as a global initiative to resolve conflicts. The move has raised concerns among experts who fear it could undermine the United Nations. While some Middle Eastern allies of the US have joined the initiative, many Western nations have so far declined.
A UN Security Council resolution passed in November gave the board authority to establish an international stabilization force in Gaza. The resolution comes after a fragile ceasefire began in October under a Trump-led plan, which was agreed upon by both Israel and Hamas. According to Trump’s plan, the board would oversee Gaza’s temporary governance, though he later suggested expanding its role to address global conflicts.
Human rights experts have criticized the board, saying that having Trump supervise Gaza resembles a colonial-style structure. They have also highlighted the absence of Palestinian representation in the board.
The ceasefire in Gaza has been repeatedly broken, with reports of more than 550 Palestinians and four Israeli soldiers killed since it began. Israel’s military operations in Gaza since late 2023 have killed over 71,000 Palestinians, displaced the entire population, and caused severe food shortages. Multiple rights organizations and a UN inquiry have described the situation as amounting to genocide.
