U.S. President Donald Trump will host the inaugural meeting of the Gaza Board of Peace in Washington on Thursday, aiming to give significant momentum to reconstruction efforts in the Gaza Strip and advance plans for postwar security arrangements.
More than 20 countries are expected to participate at the level of heads of state and foreign ministers. Israel will be represented by Foreign Minister Gideon Sa’ar after Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu decided not to attend.
Trump announces the Board of Peace in Davos
(צילום: The White House)
Officials involved in organizing the gathering said the session will provide status updates and include an announcement that member states have pledged more than $5 billion for Gaza’s reconstruction.
Trump announced the establishment of the Board of Peace on his Truth Social platform, calling it “a great honor” to launch the new international body. He and other backers have tied the initiative to a broader peace plan that includes disarmament of Hamas and a transition to civilian governance and rebuilding.
Organizers also said they hope member nations will commit thousands of troops to a proposed International Stabilization Force, or ISF, and to help build local policing capacity for Gaza — steps officials say are needed to help secure the territory once reconstruction begins.
Officials connected to the initiative said a disarmament process could begin next month, contingent on Hamas agreeing to relinquish its weapons voluntarily, though details remain unclear and no formal timetable has been released.
To date, four countries have publicly indicated willingness to supply personnel for the stabilization force: Indonesia has said it could send up to 8,000 troops; Greece has pledged 100 troops and medical personnel; and Italy and Cyprus have expressed readiness to participate without specifying numbers.
An official involved in the Board of Peace said recruitment efforts are currently focused largely on Middle Eastern countries. Additional nations have expressed interest but are waiting for concrete progress on disarmament before finalizing contributions.
Security officials in Israel have expressed skepticism about both the feasibility of disarmament and the establishment of the ISF. “We do not see this happening,” one senior official said, speaking on condition of anonymity. “There are no signs on the ground that Hamas intends to surrender weapons, and beyond Indonesia’s announcement we have not seen firm troop commitments.”
Board of Peace officials, however, said they see progress. “We are moving forward with key steps,” one said. “If the disarmament process does not proceed voluntarily, other means will be considered.”
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Turkish FM Hakan Fidan and Israeli FM Gideon Sa'ar
(Photo: ANWAR AMRO / AFP, AP Photo/Darko Vojinovic)
Sa’ar is expected to represent Israel at the Washington meeting. He will also participate in a ministerial-level session of the U.N. Security Council on the Middle East the day before.
Speaking at a forum in Israel, Sa’ar said he intends to present what he described as the reality on the ground, including recent government decisions related to environmental and heritage concerns in the West Bank. He rejected claims that those measures violated agreements, calling them “a necessary response” to alleged breaches by Palestinians.
Sa’ar added that he expects limited support at the Security Council: “Around the table, perhaps apart from the United States, there will not be countries backing our position, and therefore it is important to present our narrative.”
Member states of the Gaza Board of Peace include Israel, the United States, Qatar, Turkey, Pakistan, Argentina, Indonesia, Egypt, Morocco, Azerbaijan, Uzbekistan, Albania, Paraguay, Hungary, Bahrain, the United Arab Emirates, Cambodia, Armenia and Kazakhstan. The European Union, along with Greece and Cyprus, are participating as observers.
Turkey is expected to be represented by Foreign Minister Hakan Fidan. Sa’ar is likely to appear in an official photograph alongside Fidan and representatives of Qatar, Pakistan and Indonesia.