$1 billion gets a permanent seat on Trump’s Board of ‘Peace for Gaza’, as India and others invited
The $1 billion contribution guarantees permanent membership on the Trump-led board, rather than a three-year appointment with no contribution obligation, according to a U.S. official who spoke on condition of anonymity about the contract, which has not been publicly disclosed. The money raised will go towards the reconstruction of Gaza, the official said.
Also read: Trump wants countries to pay $1 billion to stay on peace council
Hungarian Foreign Minister Péter Szijjártó told state radio on Sunday that he had accepted Hungarian Prime Minister Viktor Orbán’s invitation to join the board. Orbán is one of Trump’s most ardent supporters in Europe.
In the statement made by the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, it was stated that To Lam, head of the Communist Party of Vietnam, also accepted this offer.
India received an invitation, a senior government official with knowledge of the matter said on condition of anonymity because the information was not made public by officials.
Deputy Prime Minister Richard Marles told the Australian Broadcasting Corp. on Monday that Australia had been invited and “will discuss it with the United States to get a proper understanding of what this means and what it involves.”
Jordan, Greece, Cyprus and Pakistan said Sunday they had received invitations. Canada, Türkiye, Egypt, Paraguay, Argentina and Albania have already announced that they have been invited. It was not clear how many people in total were invited.
The USA is expected to announce its official member list in the coming days, probably at the World Economic Forum meeting in Davos, Switzerland.
The board will oversee the next steps in Gaza as we enter the difficult second phase of the ceasefire that came into force on October 10. The plan includes the establishment of a new Palestinian committee in Gaza, the deployment of an international security force, the disarmament of Hamas and the reconstruction of the war-torn region.
Also read: Trump invites India to join proposed ‘Peace Board’ for Gaza
In letters to world leaders on Friday inviting them to become “founding members,” Trump said the Peace Board would “embark on a bold new approach to resolving global conflict.”
This could make it a potential rival to the UN Security Council, the most powerful body of the global entity created in the wake of World War II. The 15-seat council has been blocked by US vetoes from taking action to end the war in Gaza, while the UN’s influence has diminished due to major funding cuts by the Trump administration and other donors.
In the invitation letters sent by Trump to the Peace Board, it was stated that the Security Council approved the US’s 20-article Gaza ceasefire plan, which included the establishment of the board. The letters were published on social media by some guests.
The White House also announced last week a steering committee of leaders who will carry out the Peace Board’s vision, but Israel objected on Saturday, saying the committee was “not coordinated with Israel and contrary to its policy” and did not provide details. The statement by Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu’s office was a rare criticism of his close ally in Washington.
Executive committee members include US Secretary of State Rubio, Trump’s envoy Steve Witkoff, Trump’s son-in-law Jared Kushner, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, World Bank President Ajay Banga and Trump’s deputy national security adviser Robert Gabriel, as well as Israeli business owner billionaire Yakir Gabay.
Members include representatives of ceasefire observers Qatar, Egypt and Türkiye. Türkiye has a tense relationship with Israel but good relations with Hamas and could play an important role in persuading the group to come to power in Gaza and disarm.
