Trump tells Board of Peace $A10bn raised for Gaza
US President Donald Trump told the first meeting of the Peace Board that US$7 billion ($A10 billion) had been contributed to the Gaza reconstruction fund, which aims to rebuild the area following the disarmament of Hamas; This is an unrealistic goal.
The disarmament of Hamas militants and the accompanying withdrawal of Israeli troops, the size of the reconstruction fund and the flow of humanitarian aid to the war-torn Gaza population are among the main questions that are likely to test the board’s effectiveness in the coming weeks and months.
In a flurry of announcements at the end of his long and winding speech, Trump said the US would contribute US$10 billion ($A14 billion) to the Peace Corps. He said the contributing countries had raised $7 billion as an initial down payment for the reconstruction of Gaza.
The dollars committed, while significant, represent a tiny fraction of the estimated $70 billion ($A100 billion) needed to rebuild Palestinian territory destroyed after two years of war.
Trump first proposed the board last September when he announced his plan to end Israel’s war in Gaza. He later made clear that the board’s mandate would be expanded beyond Gaza to combat other conflicts around the world.
Trump also said FIFA would raise US$75 million (A$A106 million) for football-related projects in Gaza and the United Nations would donate US$2 billion (A$A2.8 billion) for humanitarian aid.
The Peace Board includes representatives of Israel but not Palestinian representatives, and Trump’s suggestion that the Board could eventually find solutions to problems beyond Gaza has raised concern that this could undermine the UN’s role as the main platform for global diplomacy and conflict resolution.
Trying to calm his critics, Trump said, “We will strengthen the United Nations.” “This is really important.”
The meeting took place as Trump threatened war against Iran and launched a massive military buildup in the region if Tehran refuses to abandon its nuclear program.
Trump said he needed to know within 10 days whether a deal with Iran was possible. “We need to make a meaningful agreement,” he said.
The event had the feel of a Trump campaign rally, with music soaring from an eclectic playlist ranging from Elvis Presley to the Beach Boys. Attendees were given red Trump hats.
Senior U.S. officials said Trump will also announce that several countries plan to send thousands of troops to join the International Stabilization Force, which will help keep the peace when deployed in Gaza.
Indonesia, Morocco, Kazakhstan, Kosovo and Albania have pledged to send troops to the force to stabilize Gaza, while Egypt and Jordan have also pledged to train police for the effort.
Trump said that the countries that made financial commitments were Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, United Arab Emirates, Morocco, Bahrain, Qatar, Saudi Arabia, Uzbekistan and Kuwait.
Fearing Israeli retaliation, Hamas has been reluctant to surrender weapons under Trump’s 20-point Gaza plan last October, which brokered a fragile ceasefire in the two-year Gaza war.
Trump said he hoped the use of force would not be necessary to disarm Hamas. He said Hamas had promised to disarmament and “it looks like they’re going to do that, but we’ll have to find out.”
Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu said that Hamas in Israel will be disarmed one way or another. “Very soon Hamas will face a dilemma: to disarm peacefully or to be disarmed by force,” he said.
In Gaza, Hamas spokesman Hazim Qasim said any international force “must monitor the ceasefire and prevent the (Israeli) occupation from continuing its aggression.” He said disarmament could be discussed without making a direct commitment.
Hamas, which resumed administration of the destroyed area, said it was ready to hand it over to a US-backed committee of Palestinian technocrats led by Ali Shaath, but Israel did not allow the group to enter Gaza. Israel has not yet commented on these allegations.
In Gaza, the US-backed Palestinian committee, established to take control of Gaza, started applications for a police force in the region. Applicants must reside in Gaza between the ages of 18-35, have no criminal record and be in good physical condition.
Trump-appointed envoy Nikolay Mladenov, who oversees post-war coordination in Gaza, said in his speech at the Peace Board meeting that about 2,000 Palestinians signed up for the police force in the first hours after the applications were published.
with AP
