Bloomberg: Trump set to name formation of “board of peace” for Gaza

US President Donald Trump is expected to announce this week the formation of a “Board of Peace” made up of global leaders tasked with overseeing his ambitious post-war plan for Gaza, according to officials.

Composed largely of current heads of state or government and chaired by Trump himself, the board is intended to spearhead the reconstruction and political transformation of the devastated Palestinian enclave in line with Trump’s 20-point proposal, Bloomberg reports.

The initiative aims to help establish an interim administration to replace Hamas, while also securing an international security presence and attracting financial support.

The full list of board members has not yet been disclosed. So far, only the chief executive officer has been identified: Bulgarian diplomat Nickolay Mladenov. Several US and Israeli officials said Trump is expected to formally unveil the board later this week.

Bishara Bahbah, a Palestinian American who has engaged in negotiations with Hamas on Trump’s behalf, released a statement addressed to Gaza’s population on January 10, saying: “It is expected that the Board of Peace for Gaza will be announced during the coming week, with its first official meeting to be held on the sidelines of the Davos meetings in the third week of this month.”

Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu has welcomed the Trump initiative and the first phase of the ceasefire, which led to the release of the last surviving hostages held in Gaza and left Israeli forces controlling more than half of the territory.

At the same time, Netanyahu has expressed concern that remaining Hamas fighters could retain control over the rest of Gaza, particularly as Western countries push to move quickly toward reconstruction.

The launch of the Board of Peace is intended to trigger subsequent steps, including the appointment of Palestinian technocrats to form an alternative governing authority in Gaza. Bahbah said in his statement that Palestinian factions are expected to convene in Cairo next week to announce the nominees.

In parallel, countries yet to be named are expected to contribute troops to an International Stabilization Force (ISF) that would provide temporary security on the ground.

Meanwhile, more than 400 Palestinians have been killed in air strikes that Israel said were carried out in retaliation for, or to preempt, attacks by Hamas. Three Israeli soldiers have also been killed in Palestinian ambushes.

Hamas has also failed to hand over the remains of the last deceased hostage, citing the difficulty of searching through Gaza’s ruins, as required under the terms of the truce.

According to a poll broadcast on Israel’s Channel 12, 57% of respondents said they would oppose moving to the second phase of the Trump plan unless the body is recovered, while 22% said they support proceeding regardless.

By Jeyhun Aghazada