By Anietie anii-bassey
President Donald Trump said Sunday that members of his newly established Board of Peace have committed $5 billion toward the reconstruction of the devastated Gaza Strip and pledged to provide thousands of personnel for an international stabilization and policing mission in the territory.
The president said the commitments will be formally unveiled when representatives of the board convene in Washington on Thursday for their inaugural meeting. In a social media post announcing the development, Trump described the initiative in sweeping terms, calling the Board of Peace “the most consequential International Body in History” and saying it was his honor to serve as chairman.
The White House did not identify which countries have agreed to finance the reconstruction effort or contribute personnel to the proposed security force. However, Indonesia’s military confirmed Sunday that it is preparing up to 8,000 troops for possible deployment to Gaza as part of a humanitarian and peacekeeping mission, with forces expected to be ready by the end of June. The statement marks the first concrete military commitment publicly tied to Trump’s initiative.
Rebuilding Gaza presents a staggering challenge. Joint assessments by the United Nations, the World Bank and the European Union estimate that reconstruction costs could reach $70 billion.
After more than two years of intense Israeli bombardment, vast stretches of the enclave lie in ruins, with residential neighborhoods flattened, infrastructure shattered and essential services crippled. Entire districts have been reduced to rubble, leaving hundreds of thousands displaced and dependent on international aid.
The proposed stabilization mission is a central component of a U.S.-brokered ceasefire framework announced Oct. 10, aimed at ending more than two years of war between Israel and Hamas.
The agreement envisions the deployment of an armed international force tasked with maintaining security, overseeing the disarmament of Hamas and supporting the establishment of post-conflict governance structures. Israel has made the dismantling of Hamas’ military capabilities a key condition for any lasting ceasefire.
Despite the framework, participation in the envisioned multinational force has so far been limited. Few governments have publicly expressed willingness to commit troops to Gaza, citing security risks, political sensitivities and uncertainties about the mission’s mandate.
While large-scale hostilities have subsided since the ceasefire announcement, Israeli forces continue to conduct periodic airstrikes and have opened fire on Palestinians near military-controlled zones, underscoring the fragility of the truce.
It remains unclear how many of the more than 20 countries reportedly affiliated with the Board of Peace will attend Thursday’s meeting in Washington. Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu, who met with Trump at the White House last week, is not expected to participate in the session.
Originally conceived as a mechanism focused on ending the Israel-Hamas conflict, the Board of Peace has since evolved into a broader diplomatic vehicle reflecting Trump’s ambition to reshape global crisis management.
Administration officials have suggested the body could address conflicts beyond the Middle East, positioning it as an alternative forum for international coordination at a time when relations between Washington and several multilateral institutions remain strained.
Some European allies and other longstanding U.S. partners have declined to join the initiative, expressing concern that it may be designed to rival or sidestep the United Nations Security Council and other established international frameworks. The administration has repeatedly criticized what it describes as bureaucratic inertia within traditional global institutions and has signaled its intent to pursue parallel structures it considers more agile and results-driven.
Trump also confirmed that Thursday’s gathering will be held at the U.S. Institute of Peace, which the State Department announced in December would be renamed the Donald J. Trump U.S. Institute of Peace. The choice of venue carries its own controversy.
The institute’s headquarters became the focus of litigation after the administration moved last year to take control of the nonprofit think tank’s building and dismissed nearly all of its staff. Former employees and executives have challenged the move in court, arguing that the seizure undermined the organization’s independence.
As preparations continue for the board’s first formal meeting, questions remain about the scale of international backing, the operational details of the proposed security force and whether pledged funds will be sufficient to begin addressing the immense humanitarian and reconstruction needs in Gaza.
For now, the administration is presenting the initiative as a cornerstone of its strategy to stabilize the territory and shape a new framework for postwar recovery.
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