Bahrain: King accepts Gaza “Board of Peace” invitation
Bahrain’s King Hamad bin Isa Al Khalifa has accepted US President Donald Trump’s invitation to join the so-called Gaza “Board of Peace“, as reported by The National and agencies on January 21st.
On January 19th, Bahrain’s Foreign Ministry said the decision reflects the kingdom’s “commitment to support the full implementation” of Trump’s 20-point Gaza peace plan.
Under the plan, a multinational stabilisation force will be deployed to the war-torn Palestinian enclave to oversee its reconstruction and governance.
The plan was authorised by a UN Security Council resolution in November 2025, which voted in favour of deploying an International Stabilisation Force (ISF) to Gaza.
According to the board’s charter, member countries may remain on the board for three years or more if they pay more than $1 billion within the first year.
However, the lack of Palestinian representation on the board has led critics to describe the plan as a colonial endeavour, with some arguing that by demanding the disarmament and ousting of Hamas, the Palestinians’ right to choose their representatives is undermined.
In October 2025, a poll found that around 70% of Palestinians in Gaza and the Occupied West Bank opposed the disarmament of Hamas, while 62% of those surveyed expressed scepticism about Trump’s peace plan.
Bahrain is not the only country to accept Trump’s invitation, as reported on January 20th, Morocco’s King Mohammed VI had also accepted an invitation to join the multinational stabilisation force that will be deployed to Gaza to oversee the reconstruction and governance of the Palestinian enclave.
Morocco and Bahrain are regional allies with ties to the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC), and Morocco’s partnership with Gulf countries has strengthened due to GCC support for Moroccan sovereignty over the disputed Western Sahara territory.
Similarly, both nations are signatories of the US-backed Abraham Accords, which were developed in 2020 to normalise relations between Israel and Arab countries.
Largely due to the Abraham Accords, ties between Israel and some Arab countries have continued to grow, despite Israel’s genocidal war on Gaza killing at least 71,000 people since October 2023, while Palestinians in the occupied territories face escalating violence from Israeli authorities and Jewish settlers.
The National and agencies, Maghrebi.org
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