Washington, United States. U.S. President Donald Trump will host a Board of Peace meeting on Thursday where he will announce that member states have pledged more than $5 billion for Gaza reconstruction and humanitarian efforts, the White House said. The meeting is expected to focus solely on Gaza.
Funding pledge and stabilization force
White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Wednesday that more than 20 countries would participate in the meeting. She said member states had also committed to providing thousands of personnel for an international stabilization force for Gaza.
Vatican decision and U.N. role
Asked about the Vatican’s decision not to participate, Leavitt called the move “deeply unfortunate.” Cardinal Pietro Parolin, the Vatican’s top diplomatic official, said on Tuesday that efforts to handle crisis situations should be managed by the United Nations. Pope Leo, the first U.S. pope and a critic of some of Trump’s policies, was invited to join the board in January.
Creation of the board and international response
Trump signed documents in Davos, Switzerland, on January 23 establishing the Board of Peace. The board’s creation was endorsed by a United Nations Security Council resolution as part of Trump’s Gaza plan. Leavitt said the plan to rebuild and reconstruct Gaza was “well under way because of the Board of Peace,” describing it as an organization with “tens of member countries from around the world.”
Regional Middle East powers including Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Qatar, along with emerging nations such as Indonesia, have joined the board, while global powers and traditional Western U.S. allies have been more cautious.
Scope of the initiative
Under Trump’s Gaza plan, which led to a fragile ceasefire in October, the board was meant to supervise Gaza’s temporary governance. Trump later said the board, with him as chair, would expand to tackle global conflicts, prompting concerns that it could compete with the United Nations.
Leavitt said Trump would chair the first part of Thursday’s meeting before departing Washington for a visit to Georgia.
What do you think the Board of Peace’s focus on Gaza could mean for future international efforts there?