Finnish president invited to Trump-backed Board of Peace on Gaza

Finnish President Alexander Stubb has been invited to join a proposed Board of Peace on the Gaza Strip, an initiative spearheaded by US President Donald Trump.

The council is intended to support the implementation of a peace plan between Israel and Gaza, as well as to oversee post-conflict reconstruction efforts in the territory, Yle reports.

The prospective body is reported to include senior international figures, among them US Secretary of State Marco Rubio, US Special Envoy Steve Witkoff, President Trump’s adviser and son-in-law Jared Kushner, former British Prime Minister Tony Blair, and a number of prominent business leaders.

According to sources, President Trump is expected to require countries seeking permanent representation on the Board of Peace to make a financial contribution of around $1 billion. The initiative is being framed as an alternative to the United Nations and is described as an “international organization aimed at promoting stability, restoring credible and legitimate governance, and ensuring sustainable peace in regions experiencing or at risk of conflict.”

Palestinians, however, are not represented on the board, and Israel has stated that it has not approved the body proposed by Trump.

The board's creation forms part of the ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas. The United States announced last week that the truce had entered its second phase.

By Vafa Guliyeva