US President Donald Trump has begun shaping his controversial “Board of Peace” for postwar Gaza, inviting the leaders of Egypt, Turkey, Argentina and Canada to join the initiative aimed at rebuilding and governing the devastated Palestinian territory.
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The invitations were revealed on Saturday, following Trump’s earlier announcement that Secretary of State Marco Rubio, former British prime minister Tony Blair, and senior negotiators Jared Kushner and Steve Witkoff would serve on the panel. Trump has named himself chair of the board, which is central to his vision of Gaza’s reconstruction after more than two years of Israeli bombardment.
The development comes as a Palestinian technocratic committee intended to govern Gaza held its first meeting in Cairo. The meeting was attended by Kushner, Trump’s son-in-law, who has been working closely with Witkoff on the Gaza file for months.
In Canada, a senior aide to Prime Minister Mark Carney said he plans to accept the invitation. Turkey confirmed that President Recep Tayyip Erdogan had been asked to become a “founding member,” while Egypt’s Foreign Minister Badr Abdelatty said Cairo was reviewing a request for President Abdel Fattah al-Sisi to join. Argentine President Javier Milei shared an image of the invitation on X, calling participation in the board “an honour.”
Tony Blair, whose appointment has drawn attention due to his role in the 2003 Iraq invasion, said in a statement to AFP that he was honoured to join the executive board. Blair previously worked on the Israeli-Palestinian issue as the Middle East Quartet’s representative after leaving office in 2007.
According to the White House, the Board of Peace will focus on governance capacity-building, regional relations, reconstruction, investment, and large-scale funding and capital mobilisation. Other confirmed members include World Bank President Ajay Banga, US financier Marc Rowan, and Robert Gabriel, a senior aide to Trump on the National Security Council.
Trump has also created a separate “Gaza executive board,” expected to serve in an advisory capacity, though it remains unclear how responsibilities will be divided between the two bodies.
The initiative coincides with Washington’s announcement that the Gaza plan has entered a second phase, shifting focus from implementing a ceasefire to disarming Hamas. On Friday, Trump named US Major General Jasper Jeffers to lead an International Stabilization Force tasked with securing Gaza and training a new police force to replace Hamas.
Despite controversy surrounding the plan, including Trump’s past remarks about redeveloping Gaza into a resort-style destination, the White House says further appointments to both boards will be announced in the coming days.
