Washington, United States. The White House is planning the first leaders meeting for President Donald Trump’s so-called “Board of Peace” in relation to Gaza on Feb. 19, Axios reported on Friday. The meeting is expected to also serve as a fundraising conference for Gaza reconstruction, the report said.
Meeting plans and schedule
Axios said the plans are in early stages and could still change, citing a U.S. official and diplomats from four countries that are on the board. The meeting is planned to be held at the U.S. Institute of Peace in Washington, the report added.
Axios also reported that Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu is scheduled to meet Trump at the White House on Feb. 18, a day before the planned meeting.
The White House and the U.S. State Department did not respond to requests for comment.
Board’s launch and international reaction
In late January, Trump launched the board, which he will chair and which he says will aim to resolve global conflicts, prompting concerns among many experts that such a board could undermine the United Nations.
Governments have reacted cautiously to Trump’s invitation to join the initiative, Axios reported. While some of Washington’s Middle Eastern allies have joined, many traditional Western allies have so far stayed away.
U.N. resolution and Gaza ceasefire
A U.N. Security Council resolution adopted in mid-November authorized the board and countries working with it to establish an international stabilization force in Gaza, where a fragile ceasefire began in October under a Trump plan on which Israel and Palestinian militant group Hamas signed off.
Under Trump’s Gaza plan revealed late last year, the board was meant to supervise Gaza’s temporary governance, and Trump later said it would be expanded to tackle global conflicts.
Criticism and reported casualties
Many rights experts have said Trump overseeing a board to supervise a foreign territory’s affairs resembled a colonial structure and have criticized the board for not including a Palestinian.
The ceasefire has been repeatedly violated, with more than 550 Palestinians and four Israeli soldiers reported killed since the truce began in October.
What do you think the planned Feb. 19 meeting could mean for Gaza reconstruction efforts?