Trump holds first Board of Peace meeting in Washington

Donald Trump has held the inaugural meeting of his Board of Peace, with founding members in attendance, reports The Independent on 19th February.

Officials from several Middle eastern country were present, including Egypt, Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Turkey. Over 20 countries have accepted Trump’s offer to join the Board, but notably, European allies have declined to get involved, due to concerns it could undermine the work of the United Nations. Israel is a member of the board, with Benjamin Netanyahu accepting the invitation despite an arrest warrant against him from the International Criminal Court, but Palestinians won’t be formally represented.

Trump announced that nations have pledged over $7 billion in aid towards Gaza’s reconstruction, with a further $2 billion from the UN a humanitarian relief and a $10 billion contribution from the US, although he didn’t specify where these funds would come from. However, the pledges remain far below the $70 billion estimate needed to rebuild the devastated enclave. However, reconstruction is tied to Gaza being demilitarised, which is still a point of contention with Hamas who demands an end to Israeli aggression.

Morocco was one of the first Muslim countries to join the board, with King Mohammed VI “welcoming President Trump’s commitment and vision to promote peace”. Foreign Minister Nasser Bourita reiterated his country’s dedication to the Board, and offered to deploy police personnel to train local forces in Gaza. Moroccan troops will also be part of the International Stabilization Forces (ISF), along with a large contingent from Indonesia and soldiers from Kazakhstan, Kosovo and Albania, under US leadership.

Palestinians have received the new developments with skepticism, noting that very little as changed since the “ceasefire” brokered with Israel in October 2025. Over 600 are reported to have been killed by Israel since, and aid is still severely restricted. Locals also highlighted the fact that reconstruction was not a priority when bombardments are still ongoing, with one asking, “What’s the point of rebuilding while Israel destroys?”. Meanwhile, in the West Bank, settler violence has intensified, with regular raids against local communities.

The Independent, Hespress, Al Jazeera, Maghrebi.org