JERUSALEM – On Sunday, four additional countries revealed that the United States had extended an invitation to join President Donald Trump’s newly established “Board of Peace.” This initiative aims to not only address future developments in Gaza but also appears to have aspirations for a wider influence in international relations.
According to an anonymous U.S. official familiar with the unpublished charter, a $1 billion donation guarantees a permanent seat on the board, whereas a three-year term does not require any financial contribution. The funds collected will be allocated to reconstructing Gaza.
The board will consist of global leaders, with the U.S. planning to announce its official lineup of members shortly, likely during the World Economic Forum in Davos, Switzerland.
On Sunday, Jordan, Greece, Cyprus, and Pakistan confirmed they had received invitations to participate. Previously, Canada, Turkey, Egypt, Paraguay, Argentina, and Albania acknowledged their invitations. The total number of invitations remains unspecified.
Board members will guide the next steps in Gaza as the ceasefire, initiated on October 10, transitions into its more complex second phase. This phase encompasses the establishment of a new Palestinian committee in Gaza, the deployment of an international security force, disarmament of Hamas, and the reconstruction of the war-torn region.
In letters dispatched Friday, inviting world leaders to become “founding members,” Trump described the Board of Peace as embarking on “a bold new approach to resolving global conflict.”
That could become a potential rival to the United Nations, the global body created in the wake of World War II. Its clout has been diminished by major funding cuts by the Trump administration and other donors, and its most powerful body, the U.N. Security Council, has been blocked by U.S. vetoes from taking action to end the war in Gaza.
Trump’s invitation letters for the Board of Peace noted that the Security Council had endorsed the U.S. 20-point Gaza ceasefire plan, which includes the board’s creation. The letters were posted on social media by some invitees.
The White House last week also announced an executive committee of leaders who will carry out the Board of Peace’s vision, but Israel on Saturday objected that the committee “was not coordinated with Israel and is contrary to its policy,” without details. The statement by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office was rare criticism of its close ally in Washington.
The executive committee’s members include U.S. Secretary of State Rubio, Trump envoy Steve Witkoff, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, World Bank President Ajay Banga and Trump’s deputy national security adviser Robert Gabriel, along with an Israeli businessman, billionaire Yakir Gabay.
Members also include representatives of ceasefire monitors Qatar, Egypt and Turkey. Turkey has a strained relationship with Israel but good relations with Hamas and could play an important role in persuading the group to yield power in Gaza and disarm.
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Associated Press writer Joshua Boak in West Palm Beach, Florida, contributed to this report.
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