Trump to unveil $5 billion Gaza push at Board of Peace meet

Washington: US President Donald Trump will convene the inaugural meeting of the newly formed Board of Peace in Washington on Thursday, bringing together delegations from more than 40 countries to coordinate humanitarian relief, reconstruction and security efforts in Gaza. During the meeting, member states are expected to announce over $5 billion in pledges for rebuilding the war-torn enclave, alongside commitments of personnel for stabilisation operations.

According to the White House, participating nations have pledged more than $5 billion toward Gaza's humanitarian and reconstruction needs and will contribute thousands of personnel to an International Stabilisation Force and local policing efforts aimed at maintaining peace and order. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt described the funding as a significant investment in rebuilding Gaza's infrastructure and restoring basic services.

Leavitt said oversight of the funds would rest with the Board of Peace, chaired by President Trump. All member states will have voting rights on funding decisions, supported by a technocratic layer of officials from participating countries responsible for implementation and monitoring.

Among the prominent speakers expected at the event are Secretary of State Marco Rubio, senior adviser Jared Kushner, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, US Ambassador to the United Nations Mike Waltz, US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, and UN High Representative Nickolay Mladenov.

Pakistan's Prime Minister Shehbaz Sharif is also set to attend, alongside representatives from India, Israel, Japan, Jordan, Egypt, Saudi Arabia, the United Arab Emirates, Qatar and other nations.

White House spokesperson Anna Kelly said President Trump is hosting the meeting at the Donald J. Trump Institute of Peace to outline what she called decisive actions to establish enduring peace in the Middle East. She credited the administration with ending the war between Israel and Hamas last October, maintaining a ceasefire, delivering humanitarian aid and securing the release of hostages.

Speaking in New York, Ambassador Waltz said that while reconstruction pledges are significant, security conditions must first be ensured. He stressed that Hamas must disarm, all military and terror infrastructure must be dismantled, and Gaza must be demilitarised and deradicalised before rebuilding can proceed.

At the United Nations, Under-Secretary-General Rosemary DiCarlo welcomed the meeting as an important step and called for concrete progress toward stabilisation and a credible political path leading to a negotiated two-state solution. (IANS)

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