Israel joins Trump’s 'Board of Peace' initiative

Israel has joined U.S. President Donald Trump's 'Board of Peace' initiative, Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said on Wednesday (11 February) during his visit to Washington where he met Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio.

Netanyahu said on X he "signed Israel's accession as a member of the 'Board of Peace.'

He later discussed Iran with Trump.

A United Nation Security Council resolution, adopted in mid-November, authorised the board and countries working with it to establish an international stabilisation force in Gaza, where a fragile ceasefire began in October under a Trump plan on which Israel and Hamas signed off.

Under Trump's Gaza plan, the board was initially meant to supervise Gaza's temporary governance. Trump thereafter said the board, with him as chair, would be expanded to tackle global conflicts.

The board will hold its first meeting on 19 February in Washington to discuss Gaza's reconstruction. However, Israel's presence on the board is expected to bring further criticism as the board does not include a Palestinian.

Countries have reacted cautiously to Trump's invitation to join after it was launched in late January. Many experts are concerned it could undermine the United Nations.

While some of Washington's Middle Eastern allies have joined, many of its traditional Western allies have stayed away.

The ceasefire in Gaza has been repeatedly violated, with at least 580 Palestinians and four Israeli soldiers reported killed since it began in October, according to Palestinian and Israeli tallies, respectively.

The next phase of Trump's Gaza plan calls for resolving complex issues such as Hamas' disarmament, which the group has long rejected, further Israeli withdrawal from Gaza and the deployment of an international peacekeeping force.

Tags