Daijiworld Media Network - Washington
Washington, Feb 16: US President Donald Trump on Sunday said members of his newly created Board of Peace have pledged $5 billion toward rebuilding war-ravaged Gaza and will commit thousands of personnel to an international stabilisation and police force for the territory.
Trump said the pledges will be formally announced when board members gather in Washington on Thursday for their first meeting.
“The Board of Peace will prove to be the most consequential International Body in History, and it is my honour to serve as its Chairman,” he said in a social media post.
He did not specify which member nations had committed funds or personnel. However, Indonesia’s military said up to 8,000 troops could be ready by the end of June for a potential deployment to Gaza as part of a humanitarian and peace mission — the first firm commitment received so far.
Rebuilding Gaza is expected to be a massive undertaking. The United Nations, World Bank and European Union have estimated reconstruction costs at around $70 billion after more than two years of Israeli bombardment left large parts of the enclave devastated.
The October 10 US-brokered ceasefire aimed to halt the prolonged conflict between Israel and Hamas. While large-scale fighting has eased, Israeli forces have continued airstrikes and operations near military-held zones.
The ceasefire framework envisions an armed international stabilisation force to maintain security and oversee the disarmament of Hamas — a key demand of Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu. So far, few countries have publicly expressed interest in joining such a force.
Trump’s Board of Peace, initially viewed as a mechanism to address the Israel-Hamas conflict, now appears to have a broader mandate of resolving global crises. Observers see it as part of a wider US effort to reshape the post-World War II international order, potentially sidestepping institutions such as the United Nations.
It remains unclear how many of the more than 20 board members will attend Thursday’s meeting. Netanyahu, who held talks with Trump at the White House last week, is not expected to participate.
Trump also confirmed that the meeting will be held at the United States Institute of Peace, recently renamed the Donald J Trump US Institute of Peace by the State Department.
The institute’s headquarters has been the subject of litigation after the administration took control of the facility last year and dismissed most of its staff.