President to chair first formal Board of Peace meeting as global delegations gather in Washington to discuss reconstruction fund and security deployment for Gaza.
By yourNEWS Media Newsroom
President Donald Trump will announce a multi-billion-dollar reconstruction initiative for Gaza and detail plans for a U.N.-authorized stabilization force during the first formal meeting of his Board of Peace next week, according to two senior U.S. officials.
The meeting, scheduled for Feb. 19 in Washington, D.C., will be chaired by Trump and is expected to draw delegations from at least 20 countries, including several heads of state. The officials, who spoke on condition of anonymity, said the agenda will focus exclusively on Gaza.
Trump signed documents establishing the Board of Peace on Jan. 23 in Davos, Switzerland. The board’s formation was endorsed by a United Nations Security Council resolution as part of the administration’s broader Gaza framework announced in September.
Regional Middle Eastern powers — including Turkey, Egypt, Saudi Arabia and Qatar — as well as emerging nations such as Indonesia, have joined the board. Some global powers and traditional Western U.S. allies have approached the initiative more cautiously. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said Wednesday during a visit to Washington that Israel has joined the board.
The officials said a central component of next week’s meeting will be Trump’s announcement of a multi-billion-dollar fund dedicated to rebuilding Gaza. Participating board members are expected to contribute financially.
One official described the commitments as “generous” and emphasized that the United States did not make explicit requests for donations. “People have come to us offering,” the official said. “The president will make announcements vis a vis the money raised.”
In addition to reconstruction funding, Trump is expected to formally announce the next phase of the Gaza plan: deployment of an International Stabilization Force. Several countries plan to contribute several thousand troops to the force, which officials said could deploy in the coming months.
The stabilization force is intended to support security and governance in Gaza following the first phase of the administration’s plan, which began with a ceasefire on Oct. 10 after two years of war. Since then, Hamas has released hostages and Israel has freed detained Palestinians.
A key issue in the next phase will be the disarmament of Hamas fighters. Under the framework outlined by U.S. officials, Hamas members who commit to peaceful co-existence and decommission their weapons would be granted amnesty. Those who choose to leave Gaza would be offered safe passage to receiving countries.
Board of Peace discussions will also include updates from the National Committee for the Administration of Gaza, which was established to assume day-to-day civil administration of the territory from Hamas. The committee announced its membership and convened its first meeting in January.
Officials said additional reports will address humanitarian aid distribution and the development of Gaza’s police force as part of broader stabilization and governance efforts.
While concerns have been raised that the Board of Peace could expand into other global conflicts, U.S. officials said next week’s session will focus solely on Gaza reconstruction, security and governance planning.
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